Fill Up My Cup
by Shadow Of Castiel
Summary: Another entry to my Blue Moon 'Verse. Gabriel fulfils his deal with Sam as set up in "A Deal with an Angel" while Castiel and Dean's family are threatened. Rated M for adult content. Dean/Castiel. Sam/Gabriel.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note** - title taken from lyrics included in "I gotta feeling" by Black Eyed Peas (thanks to Live4StarWars for giving me the idea for that title in the first place! XD ) This story features a pairing I don't usually write for - Sam/Gabriel. I thought I'd try it at least once. :o) This will be the last part in my Blue Moon 'verse, and the stories in order of reading are - "Mating Season," "A Chance to Live again," "A Deal with an Angel," "A Baby Makes Four," and "The Last Night."

* * *

The rain fell from the skies as Dean followed Castiel through the trees, feeling uncomfortable in the too wet weather, raindrops filtering through the trees and splashing down upon his head and dripping down his neck. He shuddered against the feel of it, and pressed onwards, knowing he had no choice but to continue to follow his lover, his husband through the trees.

Sam followed Dean carefully, keeping his eyes trained on his brother and the angel, paying no attention to the discomfort of the weather, just continued to plow onwards through the trees and the underbrush, blinking back the rain whenever it dripped into his eyes and hampered his vision. He flinched slightly when Elisha drew up beside him, padding forward on soundless feet that he hadn't been aware of. Elisha could tread as quietly than her father and Castiel could rarely ever be heard when he walked.

The young half angel half human took no more notice of Sam than to give him a brief nod, usually cheerful face thinned out with concentration, looking even more like Castiel as she did so. Sam shook his head over the striking similarities between her and the angel; the only giveaway to the other half of her parentage was a ripe dusting of freckles liberally peppering her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Her bright blue eyes were intent, brows pulled down as her hair clung to her forehead and cheeks in wet strands.

Sam wondered if she ever minded having an unconventional family, for he'd never heard her complain once about her lifestyle, nor ask why she'd never had a mother like other people did. She'd just seemed to accept her situation without comment nor argument, just soldiered on without complaint. Sam shook his head at her tenacity and wondered why he couldn't have been more like her when he was growing up. All he'd felt was rage and the need to be normal; Elisha seemed to revel in the fact that she was different to all others. Sam wondered if it was the angelic genes in her that gave her the temperament he'd never had; all he'd known from an early age was demon blood, ever since Azazel had bled into his mouth when Sam was but six months old.

The young hunter turned his thoughts away, not wanting to think of what had happened that same night, the night his mother had died and the long journey to where they were now had started, or at least for him it had. He stumbled on a tree root, pulled himself upright with an effort before Elisha even noticed, too intent on her fathers to pay attention to her uncle right then.

Finally, they came to the edge of the graveyard they were after, threaded their way through the grave markers standing sentinel over their departed charges, several of which were in the shape of ever watchful angels, praying, wings outspread to the night, eyes blank and peaceful. Sam shuddered at the rain pounding down more fully upon his head, and carried onwards, ever onwards though the rainy night.

Elisha soon caught up with her fathers, standing quietly off to one side of Castiel, a gentle, more feminine counterpoint to Castiel's ever commanding presence. Dean was on the other side of him, soon joined by his brother who saw, at the last minute, that they were too late. The thing they were trying to avoid - the raising of two dead bodies with the intent of roaming the earth as ravening zombies - had happened before they'd even arrived.

"Son of a bitch," Dean cursed, as beside him, Castiel murmured something in Enochian that could have been a curse for all Dean knew.

"We're too late. They're long gone by now," Elisha said, scanning the grave markers around them and the trees that bordered the graveyard.

"D'you know where they've gone, Lisha?" Castiel asked, using her brother Caelum's nickname for her to attract her attention.

His abilities were hampered by his barring from Heaven, but even he knew where they'd gone. He'd just wanted to see if Elisha knew, tried to help her hone her skills for when he couldn't do it any longer.

"Into town, I think," Elisha replied, lips narrowing down into a displeased grimace by the news.

Castiel nodded, knowing that she'd picked up the scent as well as he did.

"We'd best try and stop them, before they do anything," Sam muttered, heading away from Dean, Castiel, and Elisha, back towards the relative shelter of the trees and the Impala.

Dean grunted, lips pressed together in scant disapproval of their situation before shaking his head and following his brother through the graveyard, soon followed by his daughter and husband, both as silent as ghosts behind him.

* * *

A scream cut through the air as they slowly patrolled the town's streets, emanating from a nearby alleyway and it sounded as though it was a woman in extreme distress. Dean hastily parked the car by the side of the road, before leaping from the still idling vehicle and heading at a run from the source of the screaming. He barely waited for Sam, Castiel and Elisha to catch up with him before plunging into the dark recesses of the litter strewn alleyway, cursing as his foot kicked away a stray can clattering towards the far wall and making an echoing noise ratchet down towards the end of the alley. He cursed again, sped up his pace until he was running full-tilt towards the still screaming woman, hoping that he wasn't too late, that he hadn't scuppered their chances by creating a noise inadvertently.

"Keep screaming sweetheart," he muttered hopelessly to himself, when the lady fell ominously silent.

A short sharp scream broke the air once again and he thanked a God he didn't quite believe in for small favors. He continued running, Sam's breathing harsh in his ears behind him, Castiel and Elisha running more quietly beside them. Both the angel and his daughter's matching blue eyes remained intent on their prize and they soon stumbled across the woman in distress, held by two zombies intent on clawing at her flesh, trying to strip the flesh from her bones mindlessly.

Dean shot at them, aiming for the head of one and distracting him from his quick snack to stare drooling up at the approaching hunters. He shot again, catching the zombie between the eyes and sending it keeling to the floor, stunned. Sam took over, bludgeoned the zombie at his feet with his shovel before chopping off its head with the sharpest edge of the tool. He kicked the head away viciously, sent it scattering up against the far brick wall as the body went shuddering into its second set of death throes.

He ducked as Dean was thrown through the air by the second zombie, Elisha and Castiel raising their hands to try and smite the zombie. Their faces were determined but their combined efforts weren't quite working. Instead of disintegrating the zombie into a pile of rotting flesh, all they were doing were immobilizing the thing and setting it frozen into place. Sam took the initiative and swung the shovel wildly, sending the tool crashing into the side of the zombie's head and toppling the frozen creature to the ground, where he proceeded to chop the zombies head from its putrid neck viciously.

Dean was standing by the time the second head joined the first shored up against the wall, rubbing his head where he'd hit against the brickwork, still feeling a little stunned from where he'd been thrown. He ended up staring into the eyes of the woman who'd been harassed and almost used for a fast food meal by zombies. Her face was white and frozen into a mask of abstract horror, a remnant of her ordeal rather than shock at her saviors.

Both Castiel and Elisha helped her up and a flicker of a warm smile skittered across the woman's face when she looked at Elisha. The young half angel smiled back and asked her if she was alright. The woman still seemed unable to speak, but she at least made the attempt to nod at the half angel's question.

"Where d'you live, sweetheart?" Dean asked, leaning in to attract the woman's attention, eyes earnest as though he wondered whether the woman would even remember her address.

She gestured to an apartment over their heads, at the fire escape which was the sole access to it and Dean grumbled at the close shave she'd had. If they'd been but three minutes later, she would have been zombie chow within meters of her own front door. He nodded and gestured for Castiel and Elisha to help up to her apartment, garnering a questioning look from both of them, matching in intent and curiosity. Dean smiled at how truly alike they were, before replying at their unspoken question.

"Go make sure she's settled, give her a cup of tea or something. Me and Sam will get rid of the evidence," he said, grimly.

"As you wish," Castiel replied, just as grimly, before he nodded to Elisha encouragingly.

Between them, they led the still shaken woman up to her apartment, and Dean watched them go, thankful for their presence tonight. He turned to Sam before smiling at his brother who was also watching father and daughter go.

"C'mon, Sammy, it's show time," Dean said, nudging his brother with an elbow on the way past him

Sam only grunted, turned to follow his brother from the alley, stooping to pick up a head apiece before returning to drag the bodies away between them. They were too far from the graveyard to inter them back in their graves, so buried them by the side of the road in a secluded spot, salting and torching their bodies before covering the remains by roadside dirt.

Neither of the Winchesters spoke while they worked, maintaining silence throughout. It was obvious to Dean that Sam had something on his mind, yet knew that if he asked, he'd get shut out or a meaningless platitude thrown his way by his brother. Sometimes, Dean thought, Sam acted more like Dean himself than he himself did at times. He sighed, then turned to scan the road, wondered how Elisha and Castiel were getting along with the lady, whether she was alright yet.

"I wonder why these zombies rose?" Sam broke the silence by asking.

Dean shrugged, then said - "They got hungry?"

"I think it's a little more than just mere hunger that brought them from their graves, Dean," Sam replied, lips narrowing into a thin line of dissatisfaction at his brother, which Dean merely shrugged off.

Dean was all too used to dissatisfaction from his brother; more so now since his pact for a baby with Gabriel remained still unfulfilled.

"Well, then, what do you suggest?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. That's the point. I have a feeling I can't shake there was a reason for this, but I only wish I knew what it was," the younger hunter replied, musingly.

Dean raised his eyebrows at his brother, before saying - "Okay, psychic boy. Wanna predict the lottery numbers as well, while you're at it?"

Sam typically ignored his brother's jibe, instead staring off into the far distance as though musing alone could call the answer forth from thin air. Dean shook his head, then turned away with a sigh, feeling weary from the long evening they'd just had. He was looking forward to returning to Bobby's, to having food, beer and a warm place to dry off from the rain, to see the sons and daughter left behind again. He smiled at his own domesticity, never imagined he'd ever be that way even now. As if thinking of his family still left at home, he thought of Castiel and Elisha still at the woman's apartment.

"Shit, I gotta call my husband," Dean murmured, with a smirk at the thought of being married.

Even Sam had to laugh at Dean's choice of words, as though Dean were worried about being late and missing the start of dinner or something. He watched as Dean made the call, told Castiel where they were, before disconnecting the phone and staring a little dreamily off into space.

"You really love him, don't you?" Sam observed, with amusement. "Wait, don't answer that. You're married to him, of course you love him."

"Damn straight," Dean replied, with a grin, as the sound of heavy wings fluttering through the rain soaked air sounded nearby, announcing the arrival of both Castiel and Elisha.

Dean closed the distance between them, dropped a kiss to Elisha's forehead, before pressing a more tender kiss to Castiel's soft, responsive lips. Sam and Elisha exchanged matching looks of gagging amusement, before they started to laugh. Dean gave them both the one fingered salute without breaking into his kiss with his husband.

Sam shook his head, started clearing away the tools they'd used to burn and bury the zombies remains, before waiting in the Impala for Dean and Castiel to return. The younger Winchester chose to sit in the back with Elisha, relinquishing the front seat readily enough to Castiel. A few minutes later, and the front doors both swung open, letting in a swirl of cold air, before the married couple swung into the front, shivering slightly with the damp and the cold. Soon enough they were on their way back to Bobby's, home, food and warmth ....


	2. Chapter 2

Dean stirred his cup of coffee absentmindedly as he stared out of the kitchen window, watching the rain fall heavily from the sky, to patter against the ground and form great puddles in the too soft ground. He sighed, before dropping his spoon into the sink and taking a sip of his coffee.

"Son of a bitch," Dean cursed as the still too hot liquid burnt his mouth, leaving it tingly, sore and tender.

He put the coffee aside with a bad tempered frown at the still steaming liquid, as though the coffee were at fault that he'd taken a sip too early without waiting for it to cool sufficiently. He sighed, scrubbed at his eyes with the flat of his palm wearily, still feeling weary and tired from the night before. Despite the fact that he'd gotten enough sleep the night before, he still felt tired and a little washed out. He'd been hoping that the coffee would help him to wake, but it seemed as though that pleasure would have to wait for the time it took to cool sufficiently enough to drink.

He sighed again, turned his face to the ceiling as he heard movement overhead, turned back to the window when the pattering of the rain grew steadily stronger, hammering against the glass as though trying to force its way in. He shuddered, scrubbed at his arms and huddled beneath the confines of his t shirt despite the comparative warmth inside the house.

He looked over his shoulder when he heard the faint rustle of wings behind him, felt the familiar presence of Castiel standing behind him and turned fully to face his lover - his husband - more fully. Castiel's head was tilted to the side, gaze travelling over Dean's body as though regarding him, before he smiled tenderly at Dean.

"Hello, Dean," he said, familiar deep voice a comfort on such an uninviting day. "You're up early. "

"I couldn't sleep; I was still thinking about those zombies from last evening. I also noticed you weren't in bed and I came down, hoped I'd find you in here," Dean murmured, keeping his voice pitched low so as not to disturb anyone else in the house. "Then I made coffee - "

He broke his own sentence off, distracted by Castiel moving closer to him, one hand reaching to caress Dean's lips gently with the pad of his thumb. Dean winced at the feel of the angel against his burnt skin, even though his touch had been as light as the feathers that graced his wings. Castiel gave him a questioning look, as though demanding what had done this to his lover.

"The coffee, Cas," Dean explained with a gentle smile. "I burnt my lip on the coffee. It was too hot."

Castiel grunted, before leaning in to press a gentle kiss upon Dean's mouth, warmth spreading out and over Dean's mouth and taking the pain of the burn away. Dean's hand trailed over Castiel's body, laced at the back of his neck and kept him in place long after the healing had stopped, needing the kiss to make him feel better within himself once more. Castiel's slender hands rested gently upon his hips, framing his body with warm strength, thumbs tracing over the line of Dean's hip bones as they plunged into his boxers.

Dean's body reacted to the intimate contact and the closeness of his husband, dick stiffening against Castiel's thigh as a low murmur trickled from his mouth and into the angel's. Castiel's lips were soft and warm against his own, pliant and silken as they moved against his, comforting and tender in all the right places, suffusing Dean with warmth and love. Castiel was purring continuously, obviously enjoying the kiss and the contact with Dean as much as Dean himself was.

The kiss ended and Dean nuzzled Castiel's neck, head buried against the angel's shoulder as Castiel held him in tender arms, chin resting upon Dean's shoulder as they held each other. Dean sighed, content to remain in his husband's arms, loved how safe he made him feel, how loved with even the slightest of touches. He didn't feel that with anyone else; at least not to the same degree. Of course, they had Elisha, Caelum, the twins and Sam and Bobby were always there, but it was to Castiel Dean usually turned to for warmth and comfort.

Castiel turned his head slightly, pressed soft, lingering lips against Dean's cheek, inhaling the night darkened scents of his skin and lapping slightly at his skin gently with the tip of his tongue. Dean chuckled slightly at the tickling sensations that coursed through him, eyes opening to stare blindly at the far wall. He loved quiet moments like this, and never seemed to get enough of them or as many as he truly wanted. The regularity of them - or rather not in their case - made it seem all the more special and worth cherishing.

Finally, Castiel drew away from him, liquid blue eyes resting upon Dean's face, watching him quietly as Dean returned to his coffee, now cool enough to drink without fear of burning his mouth. Dean suddenly put aside the mug and pulled another from the cupboard and passed it to Castiel with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, do you want a coffee?" Dean asked, speaking for the first time in a while.

"Yes, please, Dean. Thank you," Castiel surprisingly said, staring down at his mug as though the porcelain item would rear up and bite him.

Dean noticed this and huffed out a laugh, lopsided smile brightening his face as looked upon his lover tenderly. He cupped Castiel's cheek momentarily before spooning fragrant spoonfuls of rich coffee granules into Castiel's mug, adding water, milk, sugar to the drink. Castiel passed a hand over it, setting the temperature just right and lifted the mug to his plump lips gently. Dean leant back and watched him, arms crossed over his chest as Castiel frowned at the coffee, mouth downturned as though something was wrong.

"More sugar?" Dean asked, received a nod in return before heaping another two spoonfuls into his lover's mug.

Their matching rings gleamed in the light as lightning struck outside, flaring against every other metal surface in the room and setting things to rattling with the resounding thunderclap. Neither Dean nor Castiel flinched, just turned to stare out at the terrible weather outside, bodies nestled close to one another and stealing each other's warmth. Dean was the first to move, raising Castiel's hand to his lips and kissing his knuckles, the wedding band circling his finger, before he stared in wonder at the significance of the band.

Castiel watched him, full lips narrowed as he stared curiously at his lover. Dean's eyes flickered up to meet Castiel's, before he smiled reassuringly at the angel. Castiel smiled slightly back, eyes warming as he saw nothing but pure love in Dean's eyes and he relaxed more fully into Dean's arms.

"I never thought I'd ever get married, you know, Cas," Dean observed, voice thoughtful, far from regretful under the current circumstances.

He bent and kissed Castiel's knuckles once more before rubbing at the skin lightly with the pad of his thumb gently, before he opened his mouth to speak once more.

"I don't regret it, Cas, before you ask. I just thought Id be the last person to settle down with anyone," he said, making the angel smile grow broader, softening the lines of his solemn face as he stared adoringly at the hunter.

"I'm glad you did, Dean," Castiel murmured gently, before leaning in to kiss his lover gently.

"So am I," the hunter replied, lips finding Castiel's once more, eyes closing as they kissed gently, mouths moving one against the other in soft movements.

Dean felt Castiel's body mold against his own, solid lines forming into one warm statue as the lightning raged outside like demons trying to smite their way in. Dean didn't care whether it really was demons; all he could see, feel and taste was Castiel against him, his soft mouth responsive against his own and the feel of Castiel's erection hard against Dean's own hard dick.

The hunter murmured in arousal, panting slightly against Castiel's lips when the angel pulled away slightly, before he felt Castiel's hands upon his hips, twisting him away from he angel's body. Dean resisted at first, finally moving when he saw the lust, the full blown arousal darkening Castiel's eyes, his surprisingly strong and slender hands easing him over the side of the of the counter, ass turned out towards the kitchen.

Dean whimpered, arousal baking off his skin as he felt his husband's long fingers grappling with his boxers, pulling the dark material away and dragging against his cock until it sprung free, bobbing up towards his t shirt clad abdomen. He felt Castiel's body fit against his own, as the angel leant in, dick hard against the hunter's ass as Castiel pressed a wet kiss to the nape of Dean's neck. The hunter felt the angel's own boxers wet with pre-cum, felt the gasps dragging in his throat and hitching his chest as Castiel started rutting against him eagerly, cock rubbing against Dean's body in erratic jerks.

Dean's hands grappled against the worksurface, trying to find purchase and almost knocking over his coffee mug in the process, body jerking beneath the onslaught of Castiel's rutting body. Dean cried out, tried to wrap fingers around his erection but the angle of his body against the side prevented easy access

"Please, Cas," Dean whined, turning as much as could to face his lover still thrusting behind him. "Please, just fuck me properly."

Castiel stopped rutting with an effort, eyes swallowed by the darkness of his pupils as he leant against Dean's back. His breath was hot and damp against the sweat soaked fabric of Dean's t shirt and Dean moaned.

Castiel moved, finally undressed and watched as Dean walked to the bedroom, fetched the lube from the bedside cabinet and returned to the kitchen to find Castiel still standing there, naked body glistening with the flares of lightning flickering outside . stiff dick flushed and arching up towards his abdomen. Dean closed the distance between them, pressed the lube into Castiel's clutching hand, gazes locked as they stared at each other silently. The hunter returned to his previous position, ass presented to Castiel as he spread his legs wider.

He whimpered at the first feel of Castiel's slick fingers playing with his hole, stroking around the tight ring of muscles and rubbing at the puckered ring until Dean begged him to do something to go faster still. Dean murmured, breath hitching in his throat as he felt Castiel's finger ease inside him, stretching him wide and loose in preparation for taking Castiel himself. Dean's body rocked back onto the angel's hand, eyes blind and staring at nothing, feeling nothing but the heat from Castiel and the feel of his finger loosening him.

Castiel listened to the sounds of arousal falling from Dean's lips, smiled as Dean whined when his fingers were finally pulled away, before Castiel slicked his erection with the lube and positioned himself at Dean's hole eagerly. He felt the hunter's body stiffen at the first intrusion of Castiel's thick shaft inside him and the angel waited until Dean relaxed beneath him, allowing him to push further in until he was fully sheathed inside his lover. Castiel moaned raggedly at the warm feel of Dean's tight channel surrounding him and stayed there motionless, enjoying Dean and the feel of him, until Dean complained, pushed back onto his dick still further in an attempt to get him to move.

Slowly, Castiel started thrusting into Dean. movements erratic at first until their bodies found their natural rhythm, moving sinuously in time against the work surface, the lightning and thunder providing the perfect back drop for their increasingly frantic love making. Dean's body jarred against the hard surface beneath him, but he barely felt anything bar the pleasure that Casstiel was giving him, the feel of Castiel moving slickly inside him, crown of his cock hitting against his prostate in slow, and certain strokes.

Dean's eyes closed, then opened, fixed upon his wedding band nestled on his finger, continued staring as Castiel's hand reached around his body and wrapped around Dean's dick hungrily. Dean cried out - yes - as his body jerked back onto Castiel's thick shaft, then forward into the tight circle of the angel's long fingers, receiving pleasure from two places at once. Castiel's thrusts became more urgent when he saw where Dean was looking, wrist snapping urgently against Dean's cock, loving the feel of him in his hand, the comforting weight of his shaft against his palm. He pounded into Dean, felt his orgasm pooling in his abdomen and tightening his balls until he gave in, let it crash right through him and he spurted thick strands of his release inside his husband with a scream of Dean's name directed at the ceiling.

Dean felt the thick wetness of Castiel's release spurting inside him, felt the inescapable force of the angel's hand circling and pulling at his dick, imagined the look upon his face as he climaxed and he came, strands of his thick come coating Castiel's hand and splashing against the cupboard door in front of him as he moaned loudly and raggedly for Castiel. Castiel's soft member plopped free of Dean's ass and the angel pressed another warm, wet, tender kiss to Dean's neck, before helping the hunter to stand.

Dean leant in, claimed a sloppy kiss from Castiel's pliant, responsive mouth, both standing half naked in the kitchen, hands pawing and groping at each other's bodies messily. The sound of thunder reverberated through the house, but as before, the two lovers took no notice, too engrossed in each other to care about outside influences.

Finally Dean pulled away, breath harsh and stolen from him by Castiel's heady kisses, before he leant his forehead against the angel's, gaze locked on Castiel's kiss swollen, reddened mouth. Castiel waited, eyes staring at Dean, hands resting gently against the hunter's ass, fingers caressing against bare skin. Dean smiled at the contact, felt the cool metal of Castiel's wedding band pass and sweep against his skin and kissed his lover quickly.

"Let's go back to bed," Dean said, with a mischievous smile up at Castiel, who looked vaguely amused by the hunter's offer.

He gave one of his slow deliberate nods, before allowing Dean to lead him from the kitchen and back upstairs. Both knew that it wouldn't be to sleep, at least not in the traditional sense and not for quite some time ....

* * *

-tbc-


	3. Chapter 3

The lightning coursed through the sky disturbing Sam's sleep and keeping him awake for hour upon hour. He stared sightlessly at the window, the brief flare of the lightening brightening the dark curtains and shattering the peace of the night with thunderclaps and constant clattering from the rain.

It had been three months since Sam had made the pact with Gabriel, to bear his child, yet still Gabriel hadn't come. Sam was feeling a certain sense of desperation ease through him with every day that passed, a sense that never disappeared or went away. It grew stronger, every time that he looked upon Dean and Castiel's children, every time he played with Caelum and the twins, every time Elisha smiled at him.

He needed children of his own,, craved them, was a little jealous of his brother for having kids of his own, of finally settling down and marrying Castiel. Sam sighed, eyes blurring with tears, a sob easing past his mouth as he turned away from the window, before sitting up in bed sharply.

"Hello?" the young Winchester asked, peering into the shadows keenly.

He waited for the next lightning flash to strike, before he could see what was in the room with him. He'd thought he'd seen someone standing over by the far wall, watching him, yet there was no one there. The lightning flash revealed an empty room except for himself. He sighed, flopped down onto the bed, disappointed that it hadn't been Gabriel like he hoped. He stared up at the ceiling, barely registering the next crack of thunder that threatened to split the air in two, bright flashes of strobing light crackling past the window.

"Hello, Sam," a voice said from beside the hunter, making Sam yell out and almost tumble from the bed in shock.

The young hunter's heart leapt into his mouth, hoping it was Gabriel, but the voice was too soft, too smooth, too deceptively gentle to be anyone else but Lucifer. He snapped on the bedside cabinet lamp beside him and cursed into Lucifer's too gentle face.

"What do you want, Lucifer?" Sam asked, when his heart stopped acting like a mariachi band in his chest.

"Awww, does the sight of me make your heart go all pitter pat?" Lucifer asked, with a gentle curve of his lips that was a gross misrepresentation of a smile.

Sam didn't reply at first, then he repeated his earlier question - "What do you want?"

"You know what I want. I want you to say yes. It's a simple word, very easy to say; only three letters. It won't take up much of your time, and then you can fulfil destiny," Lucifer replied, looking a little impatient, even slightly bored behind his mask of sympathetic patience he always tried to maintain.

"Screw destiny. Destiny has nothing to offer me," Sam spat at him, rearing away from the slowly decomposing vessel before him, red welts and burn marks spotting every available surface of the vessel's skin.

"I beg to differ, Sam," Lucifer replied, voice turning darker now and losing its soft edge. "Destiny has everything to offer you. Just think of the rewards."

"What rewards? There are none. Look at your vessel, Lucifer. He's burning away. The same will happen to me and I will know nothing of any rewards, or destiny, or family," Sam replied.

"Nick? I told you once before that Nick is not my vessel, not my true vessel at any rate. You are my true vessel, I told you that. Nick was persuadable to my cause. He had assets I could - " and Lucifer stopped.

"He had assets you could manipulate," Sam finished, angrily, turning away from the fallen angel sitting beside him.

"He had assets that were sympathetic to my own," Lucifer corrected, hands pressed in front of him palms together in an almost Oriental style bow.

"Like hell he did," Sam replied.

"That was almost a pun, Sam. I'm proud of you," Lucifer said with a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, just get the hell out of my room. I ain't ever agreeing to anything you're gonna offer me," Sam replied, turning away.

"I think you will, especially if family is threatened and at stake," Lucifer replied, voice deceptively smooth and silken behind him.

"What does that mean - ?" Sam began to ask, whirling around to find that Lucifer had already gone.

The hunter stood, throwing his sheets, blankets across the room, kicking at the side of the bed with a loud curse.

"What does that mean?" Sam yelled to no one, voice almost drowned out by the sound of thunder crashing overhead.

There was no answer to his question, nor did he really expect one. He cursed again into t he sound of silence left behind in the wake of thunder, whirling when the door creaked open behind him, revealing the face of Elisha at the door.

"Uncle Sam, you alright?" she asked, uncertainly, large blue eyes so reminiscent of Castiel's it was heart breaking to see.

"No, El, I'm not," Sam replied, honestly. "I had a bad dream. Go back to sleep, I'll be fine in the morning."

Elisha hovered in the doorway as though she were uncertain as to the validity of Sam's statement, and the hunter smiled tightly at her. She smiled back, then turned away to close the door. The sight of her leaving sent a chill through Sam's body that he couldn't quite explain, and he called out to her to stop her.

"El, stop a minute. Make your uncle a coffee, will you? I think I need one," Sam told her, smiling a little more firmly and genuinely at her when she turned back.

"Okay," she said, simply before turning away. "Be ready in five."

"Thanks, El," Sam called at her back, but she was already gone.

Sam collapsed on the side of his bed, rubbing tired hands over his weary face, scrubbing at his eyes and sighing loudly at the pressure that was bearing down upon him. He wished that Lucifer would leave him be, that Gabriel would come, that he'd have his own kids and everything would be normal again. He didn't think he'd ever get any of his wishes at the rate he was currently going.

He was roused by the distinctive smell of coffee filtering up the stairs and he stood, scratched at his abdomen beneath his t shirt before leaving his bedroom quickly, glad to be away from his sleepless bed for a while.

* * *

The next morning, Castiel and Dean were cradling a twin apiece, feeding them from matching bottles filled with milk, as the nine year old Caelum colored a large picture of dinosaurs on the floor. Castiel looked complacent, eyes trained on the baby in his arms as she fed, tiny hands curled around his long fingers as she suckled. Dean was having a harder time feeding the boy, who seemed more intent on playing with his own feet than drinking his milk, but the hunter remained persistent until he started suckling, at which point Dean's face relaxed and he smiled gently down at his son.

Castiel was settled upon the couch while Dean paced, jiggling his son as he drank, crooning Metallica soothingly, while Elisha watched from the sidelines. The young hunter turned when Bobby approached her slowly, eyes beneath his ball cap trained on Sam slumped at Bobby's desk wearily.

*He's still having nightmares, isn't he?" Bobby said to Elisha, nodding to Sam who now was fully asleep on the large pile of books decorating Bobby's desk, cheek resting gently against the brittle page of a yellowing, ancient text.

It hadn't been the first night that Sam had woken one or other of t hem with half remembered dreams that he wouldn't talk about or share with any or them. He looked increasingly more haunted as the days passed, forever checking at every noise to see if it was Gabriel arriving, or, worse, Lucifer.

"So he says," Elisha replied, mouth wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee, steam drifting up to frame her face.

"You don't believe him?" Bobby asked, turning his gaze up to the young hunter with an unsurprised expression on his face.

"I hate to say it, but no," Elisha replied. "He's hiding something and he doesn't seem to want to admit to it."

"Ain't the first time he's done that," Bobby murmured to himself, thinking of countless times Sam had lied, or at least covered up the truth with half baked truisms that meant nothing in the long-run.

The elder hunter still remembered the time he'd had to lock Sam in his own panic room some time years ago, after finding out Sam had been addicted to drinking demon blood. He sighed, observing to himself that it seemed a lifetime ago. Elisha watched him, knowing that there was a lot more to what Bobby had said, but not wanting to press the issue. She could tell by the look on the older hunter's face that he wasn't necessarily keeping secrets, it was just too long a story to tell. She smiled, wrapped her hands around her mug of coffee and sipped once more, deciding that whatever was on Bobby's mind would come out one day.

"Things are really getting to him these days, aren't they?" Bobby spoke again, still staring fixedly at the dozing Sam. "He's looking more and more tired with each day that passes."

"He's probably just waiting for Gabriel. I just don't understand why he doesn't turn up. He promised Sam he would," Elisha said. "Hell, he promised us all he'd turn up."

Bobby turned his gaze up to the beautiful woman standing beside him, so reminiscent of Castiel with faint traces of Dean shining through. Her dark blue eyed gaze was trained on her uncle, a distant look of perplexed worry creasing her brow and making her seem much older than she really was.

"You don't know Gabriel like the rest of us do. You're better off not knowing. He's unreliable, he lies, he tricks, then he moves onto something else because he's gotten bored," Bobby replied, brows pulling down over his eyes in a disapproving frown.

"You don't like him too much, do you?" Elisha asked, with some amusement.

"Not by a long shot. But if it's what Sam wants - " and Bobby shrugged as though he felt helpless in the matter.

Elisha grunted and remained silent, sipping her coffee until it was gone. She remained standing beside Bobby, watching her fathers as they continued feeding her new siblings, a tender smile on her face at the scene. Bobby looked up at her, then turned away, watching Dean and Castiel as well, smiling himself. He still remembered Dean as he was before Castiel. These days he seemed a different man. Marriage and children had changed him for the better it seemed.

His smile softened when a tender look passed between Dean and Castiel, as the hunter sat beside his lover, matching babies cradled in their arms. One of the twins was sleeping, while the other remained awake, playing with Castiel's tie happily.

"Makes you wish this apocalypse was over, doesn't it? So those kids can grow up in a normal world," Bobby observed to Elisha, softly.

"It's not so bad. I grew up alright," Elisha said, with a one shouldered shrug and a typically cheerful grin.

"That's your two dads doing, not the world," Bobby reminded her with a smile. "I don't even like it that you're living through the times we are, particularly now. I'm gonna wake Sam, we've got work to do."

Elisha remained silent, and watched as Bobby slowly rolled across the room to wake Sam up. The younger Winchester roused, eyes blinking blearily at Bobby before him, one cheek sligjhtly reddened from where he'd been leaning on it. He yawned loudly, before scrubbing at his eyes and staring at Bobby once again.

"Hey, Bobby," Sam said, with a smile. "Is it dinner time yet?"

"You've just had lunch," Bobby replied, with a concerned look that he tried to hide behind a frown. "Have you found any theories about why these zombies are rising?"

"Not yet," Sam replied, grudgingly. "Well, except for this old text that says their a pre-curser to Pestilence rising."

"The horseman?" Bobby asked, loudly, attracting the attention of both Castiel and Dean, still both feeding their children.

"Yeah, the horseman," Sam said, with a nod, before turning his gaze to Dean and Castiel when they joined them.

Elisha remained with Caelum, turning her bright gaze onto proceedings every now and again, listening keenly to every word exchanged.

"And?" Dean asked, when Sam didn't immediately go into further details. "What have zombies got to do with Pestilence?"

"Usually, nothing, but these ones are virulent, likely to spread disease or pestilence if they bit you," Sam told them, turning the text towards them, careful of the crumbling pages and the fragile leather cover. "They appear weeks, or days before Pestilence himself is called forth."

"What makes him appear?" Elisha asked, voice rising over Castiel's shoulder to reach Sam. "Anything in particular, a sacrifice perhaps?"

"Yup, a sacrifice would do it, but it doesn't state what or rather who is needed," Sam told her, leaning around Castiel's body to address his niece.

"Huh, what, like twenty vestal virgins?" Dan murmured, as he smiled at his son cooing in his arms.

"Something like that. I think we'll just have to play a waiting game from here on in; keep our eyes open and stop him from rising," Sam said, stretching his long arms above his head and yawning again.

"That's if we can," Bobby grumbled, moving away from the other hunters to get a drink. "You ain't been too successful in the past, boys."

"We're trying, Bobby," Dean said, sharply, making the older hunter nod wearily.

"We all are, Dean," he told him, gently, watching as Sam stood, walking out from behind the desk to snag a drink of his own.

"I know," Dean said, as Castiel stood beside him, matching babies now falling asleep in their arms. "We'd best settle the twins down, Cas, or we'll wake 'em again."

Castiel nodded, before they both crept away to return their new babies to their cribs, leaving Sam and Bobby to grab some fresh air outside, and Elisha to help Caelum start to color another picture.


	4. Chapter 4

Sam cornered Castiel while Dean was busy playing with Caelum, gesturing the slender angel off to one side, a serious expression on the hunter's face. That expression alone gave Castiel pause and he went willingly, wondered what Sam had to say to him.

"Could you do me a favor?" Sam asked, producing a wary look from Castiel.

"I don't know, Sam. It depends on what it is," Castiel replied, sounding just as wary as he looked, and making Sam smile a little.

"You know, you're sounding more and more like Dean with each day that passes. That sounds like something my brother would say, not you," Sam observed dryly.

"This is a good thing, Sam," Castiel replied, stoically, casting an affectionate glance over to his husband across the room.

"I'm not saying it isn't, but - you know what? Never mind," and Sam made as if to walk away, sighing a little in resignation.

Castiel felt a little stab of guilt over that one small expression and he pulled Sam back, slender hand resting on the hunter's muscular forearm gently as he held him there. Sam was reminded once more that even though Castiel was stripped of a lot of his powers, he still was more powerful than he himself was. Sam wondered at the trust Dean put in Castiel to not hurt him when they were alone together. Sam blinked at the realization that it proved just how deep Dean's love for Castiel ran, if he truly trusted Castiel with being gentle with him.

"Sam?" Castiel prompted, large blue eyes shadowed with concern as he peered at the hunter as though he thought something was seriously wrong.

"I - I don't know how to ask you this, Cas. It seemed a good idea five minutes ago, but now I'm not so sure," Sam admitted, uncertainty peeking a little into his tone.

"Try me," Castiel prompted, eyes looking wary again.

"Gabriel," Sam started, before clearing his throat uncomfortably as he stared at the floor rather than at Castiel's suddenly sympathetic face. "Can you call him for me? You know, with all your stick shaking and Enochian sigils and Holy fire and all."

"I've never shaken a stick in all of my existence but I'll let that one pass," Castiel said, a little primly as though the idea of shaking a stick was a primitive pursuit for an angel of the Lord to partake in.

"You know what I mean, Cas," Sam said, a little sharply as he finally looked up at the angel before him, to find that Castiel looked more sympathetic than his words had been. "So will you?"

"I can't, Sam. Trust me, I want to help you out, I really do, but it just doesn't work like that. Gabriel will come to you when he's ready, you'll see," Castiel said, laying one hand upon Sam's shoulder gently.

Sam glanced at the angel's long fingers before attempting a smile. By the look in the younger Winchester's eyes, Castiel could see that he was struggling to believe the angel's words.

"You have to have faith that he'll come, Sam. He promised he would and I have no doubt he will," Castiel said, voice soft and encouraging.

Sam dipped his head in a nod, knowing that the angel was right even though Sam himself didn't quite believe it yet. If anyone knew anything about faith, it was an angel. Suddenly, Sam knew that if Castiel believed it, then he should too. Castiel was surprised into a sudden huff of laughter at Sam's hug, long arms wrapping around his smaller body in an unfamiliar gesture. The angel was used to Dean and his own children cuddling him, but Sam rarely ever did. He patted the taller man on the shoulder and waited for Sam to release him.

Finally Sam stepped away and dipped his head again in an exaggerated nod, before walking slowly away, head bowed, shoulders pulled up as though there were a great weight on his mind and Castiel supposed there was. He watched him go, only hoping that his words would prove true. Even he doubted whether Gabriel would show up and fulfil his part of the deal ....

* * *

Sam was asleep, dreamless, eyes flickering beneath fragile eyelids when the sudden dipping of the bed beneath his body woke him and he sat up, hands raised into fists as though ready to punch out at Lucifer should he show his slowly burning face. Instead he was faced by the smirking face of Gabriel, hazel eyes glittering in the light thrown from outside as he snorted through his nose at Sam's extreme reaction to his arrival.

"You came," Sam stated, joy evident in his voice as he dropped his upraised fists hastily, a little guiltily even though it was too late to reverse the gesture now.

"Not yet I haven't," Gabriel predictably replied, with another smirk at the younger Winchester.

Sam huffed out a laugh at that, yawned, scrubbed a hand through his hair, yawn growing wider still. He smacked his lips together before he cast a sidelong glance at the archangel sitting next to him, who hadn't made a move to do anything.

"What took you so long to come? I've been waiting weeks for you," he said, trying not to pout and pouting anyway. "And if you dare say anything about it won't take you that long to come in a minute, I swear - _I swear _- I will swing for you."

Gabriel raised his eyebrows at Sam, lips pushed out into a surprised pout at Sam's forceful words and attitude, before he shrugged and looked to the ceiling. A shifting of the curtains outlined Gabriel's wings folding away into his body in sharp relief against the much lighter wallpaper behind him, before he shrugged again.

"I don't know. I wasn't here," Gabriel finally replied, which Sam soon surmised was all the answer he was going to get when the archangel remained stoically silent.

Sam sighed, pressed his lips together in dissatisfaction before he exhaled sharply through his nose.

"I'm not gonna get a straight answer from you, am I?" Sam asked, with some irritation at the perilous being beside him.

"Nope, no can do, Kiddo," Gabriel said, with a dry chuckle and a sparkle in his hazel eyes that made his whole face light up.

Sam swiped at the angel and threatened to topple the smaller being from the bed, surprising the former Trickster into an actual shout. The archangel's wings snapped out to steady himself and he righted his body, re-balancing himself beside the young hunter gracefully, feathers more than a little ruffled by Sam's rough treatment of him.

"Ahh, so you like it a little rough, do you?" Gabriel asked. " And there was I thinking I was supposed to get you flowers, chocolates and a candle set."

He snapped his fingers and the items he mentioned lay scattered about the room, and the archangel watched as Sam stared suspiciously about at everything.

"I don't want all of this," Sam finally said, sounding disgusted yet strangely pleased at the same time by the archangel's gesture.

"Fine," Gabriel replied, sounding offended yet Sam knew full well he truly wasn't bothered by Sam's seeming slight of his offering.

Both knew that Gabriel didn't mean anything by his actions: that's all they were to Gabriel, actions without true emotion or proper thought put into it. It was all for show, much like anything else he ever did. Sam sighed, wondered why he'd ever looked forward to this, then remembered the time he'd spent as Gabriel's hostage, of agreeing to bear Gabriel's children because even archangels got broody or so it seemed.

Sam looked down at the blanket covering his knees, wondering if he really could go through this, then thought of Elisha, Caelum, the twins and how beautiful they all were. He felt a stab of jealousy, broodiness and knew that he would, and could go through with this if it meant he was able to love his own child.

Gabriel had remained silent for so long Sam had almost forgotten he was even there, only reminded of his presence when Gabriel yawned loudly and examined his fingernails as though he were getting bored already. Sam shook his head at the temperamental angel, but remained silent, uncertain of just what to say as a suitable rejoinder. Instead he moved closer, cupped the smaller man's face between his large hands, pressing a swift kiss to the archangel's mouth and surprisingly received a kiss in return.

Breath blasted from his nose as he kissed Gabriel again, again, again, surprised still further by the angel's hands sliding up beneath his t shirt and skimming over his skin, sending shudders working through the hunter's body. Every single last pent up emotion was set free; his frustration with his brother at times, his guilt over starting the Apocalypse, his fear over being used as Lucifer's meat suit, his need for a child so that he'd leave something behind if something did happen to him.

Gabriel almost pulled away from the intensity of Sam's kisses, not wanting to rush things too soon. He needed a child as much as Sam did, thoughts of Elisha Winchester flitting through his mind as he kissed her uncle. Thoughts whirled in his mind, of wanting her, of wanting a child as perfect as her, of wanting an end to the Apocalypse so that everything could go back to a close approximation of what they used to be. He sighed, relaxed a little further into Sam's arms and rested his head upon the hunter's shoulder when the kiss ended.

"How does this work, Gabriel?" Sam had to ask, uncertain as to just how Dean and Castiel had borne children.

"It's not the blue moon, so I can't bear the child, you'll have to do it," Gabriel told him.

"Yeah, I figured that much already. I was prepared to bear the child. I meant, how does it work?" Sam asked again.

"The same thing Dean and Castiel did. I have to sleep with you three times in the space of five hours, then sha-zam, you're with child, congrats," and Gabriel cackled to himself as he rocked away from Sam's body.

Sam sighed, knowing that if Castiel hadn't already alluded to the fact of how angels got humans pregnant with him once before, he would have thought this was another of Gabriel's seemingly endless pranks.

"Fine," he said, cupping Gabriel's face once more, and leaning in to steal another kiss from him.

Sam couldn't help but feel a shimmer of excitement shiver through him at the thought of what they were about to do, mingled with a certain sense of apprehension. As if feeling Sam's emotions, Gabriel pulled away and gave him a questioning look; an expression that Sam hadn't expected to see from him.

"I'm not quite sure what to expect, Gabe," Sam admitted. "I've never slept with a man before. And before you say it, I know you're an angel, but you're in a man's body. I've only slept with women before."

"If it makes you feel any better, I've never slept with anyone before, either, not anyone at all," Gabriel said, all previous joking set aside for complete and utter seriousness.

Sam stared at him, then looked away when he realized that the angel wasn't lying, or trying to pull a quick prank like so many times before.

"You're not joking, are you?" he asked the angel, gently.

"For once, no," Gabriel admitted, honestly. "Why d'you think I want a child, Sam? This is probably my last chance as much as yours. I don't know if and when I'll do this again. Be grateful I chose you."

"That's supposed to make me feel better, isn't it?" and Sam laughed at him.

"Well, it made you laugh, didn't it? That's a start. I'm just as nervous as you. Castiel was a virgin before he slept with Dean," Gabriel pointed out, smiling himself at the hunter's laughter.

"Okay, I really didn't need to know that," Sam said, feeling embarrassed for Castiel.

"As am I," Gabriel replied, gently.

"Hey, dude, I'm sorry, I didn't mean - " and Sam broke off his own sentence as Gabriel waved away his apologies.

"Don't worry. First time for everything huh?" Gabriel asked, with a diffident shrug as though losing his virginity wasn't such a big deal for him.

"You know, you're a good guy when you stop joking about," Sam told him, looking at Gabriel with fresh appreciation.

"Thank you," Gabriel surprisingly said, looking genuinely touched by Sam's heartfelt words.

He seemed uncertain as to what to say next, words stolen by uncertainty as prevalent as Sam's, and they stared at one another hoping the other would make the first move. Sam laughed, then pulled his t shirt up and over his head gently, revealing heavily muscled arms and chest. He noticed Gabriel was giving him an appraising look, hazel eyes alight with interest as he stared at Sam.

"Now I know why Castiel likes humans so much," Gabriel surprised himself by saying. "I can see why he loves your brother."

"Careful, Gabe, you'll make me jealous," Sam said easily, grinning and showing his dimples.

"It's not Dean I'm with, is it?" Gabriel replied, reaching out to splay his fingers over Sam's chest, fingers blotting out the protection tattoo forever inked onto his skin.

Sam remained silent, just let Gabriel explore his body with questing fingertips and eyes, and felt his dick stiffen beneath his boxers as Gabriel's hand dipped lower, lower, lower still. In that one instant, Sam could see the enormity of the situation, of what Dean must face every day. The trust he placed in Castiel to not hurt him was enormous to Sam. Even though Castiel did not have access to his full powers, he was still an angel, still far more powerful than Dean and Sam combined. Gabriel had all of his powers and wasn't afraid to use them. Sam shuddered at the thought, surprised that the element of danger turned him on still further.

Sam moaned when Gabriel's hand dipped into his boxers and gently circled his straining cock, sending gasps and shivers coursing through Sam's body. Gabriel started stroking him gently, watching his face as his eyelashes fluttered without ever revealing his eyes, never opened once. Sam's face was rapturous, pleasured, stained dark red with an aroused flush as Gabriel continued to touch him. The archangel soon learnt just what Sam liked, how he liked to be touch with encouraging words and a guiding hand at times and he licked his lips, interest now fully peaked with what he was about to do.

He leant in, placed a kiss on Sam's parted mouth and it was if that small contact tipped Sam over the edge, and he climaxed, spurting thick ropes of his release over Gabriel's hand and onto his boxers. Sam laid back as Gabriel's hand fell away from his softening cock, leant back against his pillow, eyes still closed. He stirred when he felt Gabriel's mouth trail kisses over Sam's exposed skin, tongue lapping experimentally at the sweat gathering in awkward places and sending thrills of excitement through Sam's body.

He felt skin slide easily against his skin and he opened his eyes, surprised to find Gabriel already naked when he'd been kissing him and certainly hadn't moved away to get undressed. Then he laid back, laughed a little, because - of course, archangel. Gabriel didn't seem to notice his laughter, for h e carried on kissing his body, concentrating on the protection tattoo, then suckling on his nipples gently.

Sam scrabbled at Gabriel's body, large hands hitching and caressing on every inch of bare skin he could reach and making the smaller being moan. Sam's dick was already half hard and aching and he begged Gabriel to take him, to fuck him, to make him feel good. Gabriel pulled away, snapped his fingers and produced lube from mid air.

Sam looked up when he heard the snap of his fingers, surprised by the sudden sharp noise, before he said - "You know for your first time, you seem to know a lot."

Gabriel gave him an unimpressed look that spoke volumes.

"Sam, please, I may be a virginal angel, but that doesn't make me stupid, you know," he said, slapping Sam's ass and making him snicker out a laugh. "I've watched humans long enough too know all of their practices, even some you don't even want to know about.. Trust me, it ain't all pretty."

Gabriel raised his eyebrows at him a few times, a mischievous smile upon his face as Sam pulled a disgusted look.

"I don't even wanna know what you've been watching, you pervert," he said, making Gabriel laugh for the first time.

"You know, Sam, I like you," Gabriel said, on the tail end of a laugh.

Sam pretended he didn't blush at that, wondering where he'd gotten this sudden fangirling over an angel from all of a sudden. He snorted to himself that at least he knew something of what Dean must feel for Castiel, with the way he was now acting with Gabriel.

He didn't get a further chance to think still further, for Gabriel's hand dipped down between Sam's legs, stroking against his hole with sticky fingers, a look of concentration marring his brow and making Gabriel look unnaturally stern. Sam writhed, back arching from the bed at the tremors of need rocking his body, surprised with how good it felt. He cried out when he felt Gabriel's finger ease into his body and cried louder still at the pain and burn of the sudden intrusion clamoring at his senses. Gabriel watched him, felt the sudden shift of tension coursing through his lover's body and he held back, not wanting to hurt the person who was supposed to be carrying his child in the near future.

Finally, Sam relaxed, body gentling upon the bed, a sigh of pleasure escaping Sam's mouth as Gabriel pushed further in and started stretching Sam's hole wider, looser, preparing him for his dick. Sam's hips picked up on the rhythm set by Gabriel's hand and he started fucking himself eagerly onto the archangel's hand, moans of need dropping from between his lips as Gabriel stroked against his prostate.

Gabriel was fascinated, entranced that one small movement could wring a groan of need from Sam's throat, a gentle twist could have the hunter yelling out and setting his hands to scrabbling against the sheets beneath him. Finally, Gabriel eased his fingers away, set upon working lube to shining on his erection, before pressing his dick against Sam's loosened hole. He pushed on Sam's legs when he realized there wasn't enough room for even his small frame and smiled when Sam spread his legs still wider. Gabriel eased his dick into Sam's tight hole, pleasure coursing through him already at the feel of Sam so tight, so snug against his member. He closed his eyes, moaned and suddenly knew why Castiel saw in sleeping with Dean. The feelings were incomparable to anything else he'd ever felt and he started thrusting into Sam eagerly, loving the way he could wring pleasured moans, ragged breathy gasps from his lover with every slight movement and gentle roll of his hips.

Sam begged Gabriel to go harder, faster and Gabriel complied, hips stuttering harshly against Sam's and making him cry out louder still. It didn't take long for the inexperienced angel to come, climax taking him by surprise as he filled Sam with thick spurts of his hot release. Sam started touching himself, hand wrapping firmly around his erection and pleasuring himself as he thought of Gabriel, fingers jerking confidently over taut flesh until he found release, splashing out over his hand and over Gabriel's abdomen.

Gabriel settled beside Sam, one arm draped around Sam's hips as the hunter breathed deeply of the close night air and stared at the ceiling. He looked pleasured, sated, fucked out and Gabriel didn't have to ask whether he'd enjoyed it. He smiled and kissed Sam impulsively on the cheek, received a kiss on the mouth from the hunter for his efforts, hands groping and caressing at sweaty skin eagerly.

Sam pulled away first, gasping for breath before he said - "Give me a few more minutes and we can do that again."

Gabriel didn't argue, yet waited a little impatiently for Sam to recover. His hands played ceaselessly with Sam's body and making him feel good. Both were far too engrossed now in each other to notice anything of outside influences.

* * *

-TBC-


	5. Chapter 5

More zombies had risen over the course of the night, giving Dean, Castiel, Sam and Elisha a run for their money in tracking them all down and dispatching them. Finally, the long night was over, and the morning saw them, trailing tired and covered in guts and glory into Bobby's house once more. Bobby himself was still sleeping, as was Caelum and the twins. Creeping past the closed bedroom doors, Dean and Castiel waited while first Sam, then Elisha showered and headed off for their beds and sleep.

The door closed firmly behind the angel as he followed Dean into the bathroom, steam still hanging in the air after two showers already having taken place in it. Dean smiled over his shoulder at his lover, enjoyed the hungry look in Castiel's eyes as he watched Dean undressing before him, skin exposed inch by tempting inch. The angel's tongue lapped out, pink tip laving at his lips and leaving their plump surfaces wet and kissable in its wake. Dean groaned at the sight of his lover, at the naked need evident in his face and despite the hunter's weariness, his dick stiffened, started aching with need of his own and wanting to be taken by Castiel.

He leant into the shower, turned the faucet and held his free hand beneath the rush of water until it reached the perfect temperature. He felt the gentle touch of Castiel's hands resting upon his hips, long fingers caressing his skin as t he angel leant in to press a gentle kiss to the nape of Dean's neck, sending pleasurable shivers down the hunter's spine. From the feel of Castiel's body pressed close to his own, Dean knew his lover was now completely naked, dick hard and pressing against his ass temptingly.

Dean groaned loudly, eyes closing as Castiel manoeuvred him into the shower, beneath the rush of water and started lathering fragrant soap over the hunter's skin. Dean leant back, eyes closed, enjoying the feel of Castiel's hands skimming over his body in sure strokes, confident in touching him, knowing just the right places to press to turn Dean on still further. Without being asked to, Castiel knelt in front of him, mouthing at the crown of Dean's dick teasingly, eyelashes framing his half closed eyes and making them look delicate, fragile, mysterious.

Dean shuddered, groans turning desperate as Castiel's warm wet mouth sucked back more of the hunter's dick, until he was holding as much of Dean as he could take in his mouth. Dean looked down and moaned at the sight of the angel's mouth stretched wide around his dick, breath panting harshly in his throat at the feel of his lips, teeth and tongue pleasuring him as Castiel's head started bobbing between his legs.

Castiel's slender fingers dug into Dean's bare ass, leaving marks and bruises but Dean didn't care; he wanted Castiel to mark him, needed more of Castiel's mouth around his dick and he started fucking eagerly into the angel's wet warmth, whimpering every time Castiel's tongue probed and licked at the pre-cum at the slit. Castiel's tongue flattened and laved at the vein that ran across the underside of Dean's dick, tracing every ridge and curve of Dean's dick the way he knew his lover liked. The angel loved the feel of Dean hard and willing in his mouth, the weight of his member pressing down upon his tongue and his cheeks hollowed with every movement he made.

He swallowed convulsively at Dean's head, pulling a scream from Dean's throat as the hunter climaxed forcefully, spend filling Castiel's mouth in thick strands as Dean cried out for Castiel ceaselessly, climax rocking the hunter's body in waves of pleasure. Dean was still reeling from waves of bliss when Castiel stood, blue eyes dark with lust, lips swollen and red as he leant in to claim a kiss from Dean's still gaping mouth, purling whines working in the angel's throat when Dean responded hungrily.

The hunter felt the warm rush of water hit his back when Castiel turned him to face the wall behind him, felt the angel's fingers play with his hole eagerly, before Castiel pulled his hand away, sucked his fingers until they were wet and shining with saliva before pressing them into Dean's hole, loosening him in readiness for Castiel's entrance. Dean jerked and fucked himself back eagerly onto Castiel's hand, desperate to feel his lover inside him as soon as possible, eyes closed, mouth gaping with need as Castiel continued stretching him wider.

Finally Castiel pulled away, replacing his fingers with the much larger surface of his cock, pushing inside his lover eagerly without giving him enough time to recover from the initial burn and press of Castiel's intrusion into him. Dean twisted, turned, settled down into a better position, legs spread wider to invite Castiel further in. The angel's hips rolled into Dean's in his first thrust, thick shaft moving inside him eagerly with every thrust and jerk of Castiel's hips, breath harsh and wet against the back of Dean's neck.

Dean's eyes remained closed and he became lost in the feel of Castiel moving inside him, dick pleasuring him with every stroke against his abdomen, blunt head prodding against his prostate confidently as Castiel shifted, adjusted the angle hips jerking more forcefully against his lover's.

Castiel groaned at the feel of his lover's body so responsive and eager beneath his own, loved the way that Dean rocked back onto him every time that he withdrew as though Dean was impatient for his next thrust. He thrust harder into him, faster, hips snapping eagerly as he felt his orgasm creeping up on him, threatening to consume him. He let his climax wash through him, and he filled Dean with spurts of his thick release, Dean's name pulled from his throat in an eager scream.

He was barely aware through the fog of his climax that Dean was furiously touching himself in front of him, gasps harsh in his throat as the hunter jerked off eagerly. A few moments later and Dean's come splattered against the wall, Castiel's name groaned brokenly as he found his second climax.

Castiel's soft member pulled free from Dean's ass when Dean moved, shifted and turned to face his lover. Dean 's mouth clashed with Castiel's, kisses open, wet, sloppy as their tongues entwined. The water hammered down upon them, washing their skin clean of sticky release and they were still there when the water slowly started to turn cold, mouths locked, arms wrapped loosely around each other's bodies as they kissed.

Castiel felt Dean shiver against him, finally became aware of how cold the water was getting, so pulled his lover from the cooling stream of water and towelled him dry. Dean's eyes closed, lips curled into a smile of contentment before returning the favor and making Castiel purr at the prolonged contact. Dean smiled, then led Castiel from the bathroom, to their bedroom, where they snuggled beneath the bedcovers, Castiel slowly stroking Dean's hair as the hunter rested his head against his shoulder until Dean had long since fallen asleep in his arms ....

* * *

Sam awoke from a dream of Dina and Elijah, Castiel and Dean's twins, being taken from him while he stood helpless at the door of their bedroom, eyes riveted to their separate cots while something unseen hovered nearby, an ominous presence in what should have been a peaceful setting. He shuddered, tried to move, tried to break free of his mental bonds but all he could do was watch as the twins disappeared. He got flashes of trees, a clearing, an altar abandoned and surrounded by the flickering flames of several candles guttering in the breezes and the vague hints of a horseman hovering nearby.

He sat up in bed, sweat pouring from his forehead and stinging his eyes, breath gasping harshly in his throat as he struggled to calm his breathing. He pawed at his eyes with one large hand, crying out when a soft voice spoke nearby, so close breath tickled his ear.

"Not everything you dream remains a dream, Sam. " said the voice but by the time Sam turned, it was to discover that he was alone.

"Why do want the kids?" Sam thought to gasp out, needing to know, yet not really expecting an answer.

"To raise the horsemen, I need their blood their life force, Sam," came the voice, surprising the hunter by purring directly into his ear. "You can't stop me from taking them, so don't even try. You can't win and you never will."

Sam shuddered, considered calling for someone, yet knew that it was a lesson in futility. He knew, as well as Lucifer did, that he would be gone as soon as Dean or Elisha, maybe Castiel even came to answer his calls. He knew also that Lucifer was telling the truth; no matter what happened, he couldn't win, no matter how hard he tried ....

* * *

-TBC-


	6. Chapter 6

Dean wasn't the only one to notice that Sam was brooding that afternoon, eyes distant and staring off at something seemingly only Sam could see. Castiel remained silent on the subject, despite noticing the younger Winchester's quieter than usual behavior. Dean just put it down to wondering whether Sam was actually pregnant or not, so didn't even broach the subject with him.

Instead, he rallied his brother to come shopping with him, taking Castiel along for the ride. Elisha opted to stay with Bobby, trying to do more research on zombies and why they chose to rise in droves. She'd also noticed Sam's lack of response to outside influences, meeting her uncle's taciturnity with ever growing raises of her eyebrows. Like Dean, she was always ready with a quick jibe at the best of times regarding Sam's ever shifting mood, yet that day even she was strangely quiet. It seemed as though Sam's mood was infecting all of them.

Sam seemed to lighten up when they left house a little, eyes scanning his surroundings with a little more interest, looking at clothing with some degree of consideration, even picking out a few items under duress from his brother, when Dean told him to. He tried to put disturbing memories of his dream out of his head, deciding that he'd find a chance to tell his brother, Castiel when they returned home. Nothing had happened yet to substantiate his dream and he guessed they still had some time left to sort it out, to find a way to tell them. After all, it had been night time during the dream; that evening would be soon enough.

His attention was soon drawn back to the task at hand when he saw Dean thrusting another large, over sized shirt and pants combination beneath his nose, a determined expression stamped across his brother's face as though tired of Sam turning up his nose at every suggestion.

"Dude, when you start hulking out of your clothing with a pregnant bump, no way are you fitting in either mine or Castiel's old clothing. You're too damn big as it is," Dean observed dryly at Sam's first attempt at listless protests on the matter.

Sam had conceded, muttered grumbles barely comprehended as he scanned the racks for suitable clothing. He loaded a few choice items into his arms, before heading to the check out, surprised to find Gabriel already there, arms wrapped around a teddy bear, smirk brightening his features as he stared directly at Sam.

"Gabriel," Sam said, with a tight smile at the archangel. "I didn't expect to see you here. Why are you here?"

"Can't I say congratulations to the proud father?" Gabriel replied, trying for hurt despondency, but just coming off ridiculous instead.

"Hear that, Sammy? He said you were a father," Dean commented, nudging his brother meaningfully. "Looks like you can take the stick you've been hiding up your ass all day out, huh?"

Sam turned a sour look upon his brother but didn't directly address his brother's words. Instead he looked to Gabriel, noticing a slight air of tension around his would-be lover's face when Castiel approached. There always seemed to be a slight tension in the air whenever the angels were together, as though there was some history between them, some rivalry, or uncertainty of their respective places with one another perhaps.

Sam said - "So I really am pregnant then?" - in a voice low enough so the lady serving wouldn't hear.

Gabriel nodded, thoughtfully, one finger tapping against his mouth as he pondered, before he said - "One. You are with child but only one. A girl."

"Really? You can tell all of that? Dude, you're better than one of those x ray things with the video with the baby in it," Dean said, with a grin.

"A sonogram, Dean," Sam supplied, with the largest grin he'd given all day, dimples attracting the attention of the lady at the cash register.

"Yeah, what he said," Dean said, throwing his brother a - smart ass - look and making Sam's grin grow into an amused chuckle.

"Call it a gift," Gabriel said, with a smug grin at the trio before him.

He handed the teddy bear to Sam before wandering off with a cheerful goodbye, soon lost to view in amongst the shoppers, the soft toy the only reminder that he'd ever been there at all.

"Are you having a baby?" the lady at the cash register asked, Sam, as she scanned the items through her till.

"You could say that," Sam replied, face narrowed down into ironic amusement as Castiel smiled slightly, bright blue eyes taking in the proceedings silently.

"Quite literally too, eh, Cas?" Dean muttered just out of earshot of the cashier but not Sam who was closer.

His heavily booted foot stamped down on Dean's toes, causing his brother to yelp loudly, attracting the attention of the cashier.

"Sorry, miss, cramp," he said, with an unconvincing smile.

The cashier smiled, smiled again when Castiel turned his tender gaze onto Dean, reaching for his hand as though he wanted the comfort of his touch. Dean nudged the angel as though they were naughty schoolkids exchanging a joke, before wrapping his hand around the angel's, fingers entwining tenderly as he leant in to press a kiss to Castiel's pliant mouth.

Sam threw the cashier an embarrassed smile, before he said - "My brother's just recently gotten married to his boyfriend. You'll have to excuse them."

"They're adorable," the cashier said, with an amused smile at the still kissing couple behind Sam.

"That's not what I'd call them," Sam replied, without thinking.

The cashier laughed and shook her head at the tall hunter's cynicism. Dean and Castiel didn't take any notice of the exchange, too far gone in their kissing for anything else to even register anymore. Sam had to smile at their tender kisses, turning when Elisha caught up with them, a paper bag filled with delicious smelling food hanging from her slender hand as she smiled at her still kissing fathers.

"We'd best get the hose out if we wanna move from this store," she muttered to Sam as he finished paying for his goods.

Sam chuckled at his niece's comment, before saying - "Yeah, maybe. Hey, you guys. Leave each other alone, I wanna go back to Bobby's."

Dean lifted his hand to give his brother the a-okay sign before finally puling away from Castiel, gazes locked as they smiled at one another. Sam and Elisha shook their heads at one another and started walking away, giving the two lovers no choice but to catch up....

* * *

Bobby's house seemed too quiet by the time that Dean walked through the front door. His brow furrowed with confusion as he cast his glance around the too quiet place, all too used to Bobby's movements about the house, to the twin's cheerful gurgling, to Caelum's playing. There wasn't a sound at all.

"Bobby?" Dean called, voice deepening as he shouted.

There was no answer and he moved forward as Castiel, Elisha and Sam crowded behind him. Sam looked tense, but a little unsurprised by events, while both Castiel and Elisha seemed to be casting around the house with their heightened senses, matching frowns of disapproval as they both disliked what they found.

"What is it?" Dean asked, noticing their matching looks and turning his gaze from father to daughter curiously, tensely.

"Something's not right. Something's missing," Elisha said first, alarm creeping into her perfect blue gaze as she turned to Castiel, then to Dean as though seeking comfort or answers from her fathers.

Dean's eyes widened and he whirled, headed further into the house, to Bobby's kitchen in hopes of finding someone, anyone there. He shouted for Bobby, for Caelum, for the twins but still, there was no answer. Castiel started to call for Bobby too, gruff voice rising to meet Dean's sas they searched through the house, finally finding Bobby outside, wheelchair tipped to the ground, unconscious. Caelum was nearby, trying to wake the older hunter up, but didn't seem to be having much luck.

"Bobby," Dean shouted out, attracting the attention of the others who came running.

"Cal, it's alright, we're here now," Castiel said, drawing his son gently away from Bobby and trying to smile at the small boy when Caelum turned imploring green eyes so like Dean's up to his.

Sam helped to heft Bobby back into his chair, sitting upright, before Elisha helped to rouse the elder hunter with a wash of her angelic power pouring through Bobby's body. The hunter stirred, looking a little groggy and the worse for wear, rubbing his forehead as Dean gently put his ball cap back on his head.

"What happened, Bobby?" Sam asked, kneeling down in front of Bobby, laying one hand on the hunter's knee to balance himself.

"Someone came, surprised me," Bobby said, still rubbing groggily at his eyes.

Then his hand slowly dropped and he looked stricken, turning his gaze up to first Dean, then to Castiel. The angel wasn't looking, too busy with trying to reassure his son, but Dean noticed, and he stared at Bobby curiously, mouth pouting out in curious concern.

"What?" Dean asked the elder hunter, wondering why Bobby looked so stricken.

"I'm sorry, boy, but Dinah and Elijah were taken," Bobby said quietly.

Dean's face paled, and he looked helplessly to Sam, then his daughter as Elisha spoke for him, knowing what had to be asked.

"Who took them, Bobby?" she asked, never taking her eyes from her father's face.

"Lucifer," Bobby said, quietly, sagging in his wheelchair as though unable to properly support himself any longer. "I'm sorry, son, but I couldn't stop him."

"You did your best, Bobby," Dean managed to force out, throat constricted and dry before he walked into the house, intent on getting himself a beer.

"Dad, help Dad," Elisha called quietly to Castiel, when he looked up to see where Dean was going.

The angel nodded once then disappeared into the house, standing near to Dean without actually touching him, or making any sudden moves towards him. Dean looked up, face still too pale, mouth pinched tight into a line of agony as he slowly handed a beer to Castiel. Surprisingly the angel took it, taking a sip but never taking his eyes from Dean's once.

"I should have been here, Cas. I could have done something to stop them," Dean grated out finally, painfully, one tear slipping from his eye and trailing down his cheek.

"They're my children too, Dean. I should have been here too, but it wouldn't have made any difference," Castiel said, gently. "Once Lucifer has his sights on something, he won't stop. We would have been killed if we'd been here. Bobby was lucky."

Dean remained silent, yet Castiel could see that the hunter knew he was right. Dean didn't pull away when Castiel closed the distance between them, finally, settling one arm around Dean's waist and staring at him tenderly. Dean took another sip of his beer, body stiff, before he put the bottle down on the kitchen worksurface and slid both arms around Castiel's waist.

"We'll get them back, Dean, I promise," Castiel told him, gaze never dropping from Dean's, plump lips pressed into a firm line of resolution.

Dean nodded but seemed unable to speak further and Castiel drew him further into a hug. Dean relaxed a little more into the hug, resting his forehead against Castiel's shoulder and the angel felt the wet trace of tears when Dean moved his head against his neck. The angel pressed a soft kiss to Dean's neck, lips lingering upon fragrant skin as his large blue eyes closed. He looked up and over at the door as it opened, saw Elisha walking in looking grim faced and determined as she entered, Sam behind her.

"Caelum's still with Bobby," Sam said over Elisha's head when Castiel looked askance at him.

Dean raised his head slightly, turned wet eyes to them both and Elisha smiled grimly at him.

"We know where they are, Dad," she said quietly. "Sam had a dream about it last night."

She briefly gave an outline of Sam's dream, not looking too happy with what she was revealing, pointedly not looking at her uncle as though she was a little disapproving that he'd kept silent, only revealing the details to her and Bobby a few moments previously. Dean stiffened in Castiel's arms, turned to face his brother, his body set into angry lines of disapproval. Castiel laid a hand upon Dean's forearm, as though warning him not to make too much of a scene, to which Dean thankfully settled down a bit.

"You dreamt about this and you never said anything?" Dean asked, eyes angry above tear stained cheeks, blazing with angry color.

"I didn't know what the dream meant, Dean, it could have been anything," Sam replied, helplessly. "Besides, Lucifer was right, we couldn't have stopped him taking the kids, even if we'd tried."

"Really? It's not the first time you've kept crap from us, Sammy. I think it about time you started being more honest, if you can," Dean said, as Bobby came rolling in, Caelum in tow.

"Dean," Bobby warned, shaking his head at the elder Winchester. "Now's not the time to engage in arguments; it's not gonna help, no matter how right you are."

Even though he was telling Dean to step down, he didn't look any happier with the situation than Dean felt, as though he too, thought Sam could have mentioned his dream earlier. He turned his gaze to the tall Winchester before shaking his head disapprovingly at him.

"Next time you have a dream, boy, you'd best tell us, asap," he said, anger now creeping into his voice. "You've put this family in danger by remaining silent, when something could have been done to prevent this. I mean, what the hell were you thinking, ya stupid idjit?"

Sam looked chastened, eyes shifting yet settling on no one fixed point, looking as though for escape yet finding none. No one helped him or came to his defense and he felt the loneliest he'd ever been for ages. He remained silent, having no good and ready answer for Bobby and the older hunter turned away with a derisive snort.

Castiel's hand clamped tighter upon Dean's arm, when his lover looked ready to swing at his brother and again, Dean heeded the warning, stepping back into the shelter of the angel's calming presence and hoping to gain some peace for himself. Castiel didn't look at Dean, just remained staring at Sam, as though he too disapproved of the younger Winchester's actions.

"You've got a lot of making up to do, Sam," Castiel said, finally. "You'd best start by showing us exactly where Lucifer's taken our children. Elisha, you're staying here with Bobby and Caelum. I want someone to look after them while we're gone."

Sam looked away uncomfortably, knowing a key word had been left out of Castiel's statement - he wanted someone he could trust to look after the family while they were gone. Elisha dipped her head in ready assent at her father, never raising a question to the decision, just accepting it. Castiel nodded, thanking her with a tight smile before turning to Dean.

"You good, Dean?" he asked, gently, reaching up to cup Dean's chin with slender fingers and turning the hunter's face to his.

Behind the anger, the pain, the hurt in Dean's eyes, Castiel saw a steely determination that the angel knew would see him through the next few hours without trouble. he nodded, before Dean had even said anything, apparently satisfied with what he had seen in his husband's eyes. Dean smiled anyway, then spoke.

"I'm good, sweetheart. I wanna go. Can we go?" he asked, voice tightly controlled and Castiel's heart clenched for him.

He felt and shared Dean's pain, and knew how hard it was to keep that anger within him, when something could have been done to prevent it if only Sam had spoken up sooner. The angel turned his cold gaze onto the younger Winchester before speaking again.

"Make sure this doesn't happen again, Sam. I'm not asking, I'm demanding it of you," he said, voice tight and angry as he stared at the younger hunter.

Sam nodded miserably, knowing that despite Castiel's diminished powers, he'd see to it that he'd make Sam's life very uncomfortable if the hunter didn't live up to Castiel's expectations. He looked to Dean hopelessly, and saw that there was no help forthcoming from his brother. Dean would stand by his husband if anything like this happened again and Sam could see why; it was their children at stake here, and he'd feel the same if it were his.

He shuddered and followed them wordlessly from Bobby's house, determined to make up for his laxness over remaining silent over his dream by helping to find the missing children ...

* * *

-tbc-


	7. Chapter 7

Dean followed Castiel's flitting form through the thick and clustered trees, trying to place his feet quietly upon the ground so as not to disturb stray branches, spook night animals and to alert Lucifer of their approach. He was dubious over the fact that such a powerful being such as Lucifer wouldn't detect their presence anyway, until he remembered the Enochian sigils carved onto his ribs. Castiel had placed those sigils there to protect him from an angel's seeking eye, and Lucifer was nothing but an angel gone down the wrong path, thrown from Heaven because he refused to bow before humans.

Dean felt only slightly mollified by this realization, that the sigils could only protect him from so long and he didn't want to fall before him, not now, not and lose everything he'd been fighting for. His gaze moved to Castiel treading gently before him, felt his heart swell with love at the sight of his lover, his husband and knew for the sake of him, for the sake of their children, and for Sam and his still unborn child, he would fight, he would win against Lucifer, if only for this one fight.

He soon caught up with Castiel, who'd stopped at the side of a clearing, tan coat muted by deep shadows thrown down from the trees above, pale face pinched and tight as he stared into the clearing. Dean reached for Castiel's hand, squeezed his fingers in a show of support and received a tight smile of thanks of return. Castiel knew that Dean was just as affected by the situation as he was, even though the hunter just hid it better than he did.

Dean watched as Lucifer knelt before an alter, surprising for one so powerful to bow before something, when he'd refused to bow, to serve humans so long ago. Dean wondered just who the devil was praying to, when he was the highest power in Hell. He glanced at Castiel beside him and saw that his eyes were narrowed in concentration, lips puckered out into a full rosebud pout and Dean resisted the urge to lean forward and kiss him.

As if to further distract him from his desire to kiss his lover, Sam crept up beside him, finally catching up with them and tapping Dean's shoulder gently to announce his arrival. Dean flinched, surprised at his brother's sudden appearance, then turned away as though nothing had happened. Castiel caught the exchange, remained silent even as an amused expression crossed his face at Dean's startle at Sam's arrival. He'd never seen Dean so much as flinch before, yet he had then, even though the angel couldn't guess the reason behind it, that Dean had been thinking naughty thoughts about him.

In the clearing Lucifer started chanting, as two demons brought forward the twins, carrying them to the altar and placing them upon the stone surface, where they stared up at the stars and gurgled in happiness, legs kicking innocently as they lay there. It made Dean's blood boil to think of Lucifer even looking at his children, let alone touching them and he resisted the urge to go in shooting.

Castiel, as if picking up on his emotions, laid a hand on Dean's arm to restrain him, throwing him a warning shake of his head. Dean was mollified into staying where he was when he saw the mirroring hatred and anger held deep within his eyes. Dean found himself thinking that in a way it was worse for Castiel. It was his brother that had stolen their children, despite what Lucifer had become in the intervening years since The Fall; he was still Castiel's brother. Dean couldn't even begin to imagine what he would think and feel if Sam had stolen Castiel's and his children. He tried to blot out the thought that he would feel like he wanted to kill him if he did, knowing that he wouldn't even touch a finger upon their heads. He was suddenly grateful to Sam for going to Gabriel to get his own children, instead of doing what Lucifer had done.

Finally, Castiel gestured for them all to stand forward, when Lucifer was finally getting to his feet, back straight, head still bowed to the altar. Without turning, Lucifer looked over his shoulder at them and smiled.

"Hello, boys. I was wondering when you'd get here," he said, voice smooth and gentle as though he really were worried about frightening the babies.

"You knew we were coming?" Dean asked, in surprise.

"How did you think Sam knew where we were? Did he not tell you about his dreams, and my late night visits?" Lucifer asked, finally turning and shaking his head in grave disappointment at Sam. "Really, I am disappointed in you, young Samuel. I thought you were better than that. Wait, though, you're not, are you? Considering all that you have kept from your brother in the past?"

"How could I tell him, Lucifer? How could I tell my own brother I'd been talking to Lucifer himself? He'd think I'd be one step closer to saying yes to you," Sam said, even as Dean looked upon him with disapproval, uncertainty.

Only Castiel remained resolute, staring directly at Lucifer, with such hatred in his eyes, it hurt Dean to look upon him. He was used to Castiel being tender and loving with him and the children, yet forceful and warrior-like when he needed to be, when he was acting like the true warrior of God that he truly was. Even taking that into consideration, Dean had to admit to himself that he'd never seen true hatred shining in his lover's eyes before. Dean couldn't help but echo at least some of his sentiments right then, that sometimes he knew what it felt like to be betrayed by his own brother, to be uncertain as to his true motives.

He looked away, uncertain even where to look and settling his gaze upon the floor instead. He found himself counting leaves until Lucifer spoke again; at which point he looked up and watched as Lucifer walked forward, bringing his slowly burning vessel closer. Sores and wounds covered his skin and he was starting to smell a little. Dean flinched back when he stopped in front of Castiel, attracting Lucifer's attention on him.

"Haven't you ever heard of a shower, dude? Deodorant?" Dean immediately asked, just stopping short of adding a breath mint into the mix.

"Dean. Dean, Dean. Ever the cocky one, never bowing to anyone. To think my Father begged me to bow to one such as you," Lucifer asked, looking Dean up and down as though he wasn't pleased with what he saw.

"Can't handle my awesomeness, can you?" Dean immediately retorted and making a flicker of a smile cross Castiel's face, even as he tapped Dean's arm in warning.

"That's not the reason I would have chosen, Dean," Lucifer replied, dismissively, half turning away to further validate his point.

"Let me count the ways I'm not bothered," Dean shot back, watching him with half closed and angry eyes.

"Dean," Castiel said, gruff voice commanding, demanding him with that one word to be quiet.

Surprisingly, Dean didn't speak again, causing Lucifer to raise one eyebrow at the couple, to stare at their matching wedding bands with some interest. He huffed out a laugh and shook his head as though his brother's marriage to a human saddened him.

"Oh to think my brother could have fallen so low as to marry one of the little inconsequential humans," he said, regretfully. "Now you see why I could not bow to one such as you. Puny beings."

"You do not know what it is like for me. You do not know what it's like to love, to give yourself wholly to another. All you care about is yourself and yourself alone, Lucifer," Castiel gritted out, eyes angry and blazing, reflecting the candle light around them and turning them red instead of blue.

"Ahh, I have heard of this thing called love, but I don't believe in it, not really. And you're wrong about me, Castiel. I can love and I do love. Our Father, Castiel. He is the only one that I love and ever will love, never a human, never," he said, turning his gaze onto Dean with a sneer.

"But you are not me, Lucifer and never can be me," Castiel said. "I love with everything I have. I know what it's like to mean something to someone and to create life. What have you done but cause chaos and destruction, and harm to others since your Fall? You betrayed Heaven. You betrayed our Father and are not worthy of his love. At least I have done everything our Father asked of me."

For one terrible instant, Dean thought that Lucifer would strike Castiel, would hurt him, even kill him, yet he held back with barely restrained impatience and he turned away.

"You are nothing to me, Castiel. You disgrace me with your allegiances. To think you have fallen so low as to get married to one of those things," he spat.

"I love him, Lucifer," Castiel repeated and Dean gripped his lover's hand in pride at Castiel's unflinching, unapologetic attitude.

"Can we stop this? This is not the reason we came here," Sam interjected, angrily. "You have their children, Lucifer and they want them back. They're my family too, my niece, my nephew. You have no right to them."

"I have no more right to them than anyone else, assuredly, but I need them to raise the next horseman, but you knew that right?" Lucifer asked Sam as he walked closer to him. "Without them, Pestilence, the last horsemen, won't rise."

Lucifer smiled at Sam, tapping one forefinger against his bruised lips as he walked around the younger Winchester, eyeing him and leaning in to sniff at Sam's body. Every time, Sam flinched away, not liking having Lucifer so close to him of his unborn child growing inside him. Finally, Lucifer stopped before him and stared at him, speaking at last.

"You've lain with an angel, sullied another being of light with your human presence, haven't you? Which one is it?" the devil asked, musingly. "I know the scent but cannot place it; it's one I haven't smelt in a long time. I know it's not Michael, I'd recognise him."

He spat at the mention of the archangel that had thrown him from Heaven, before staring at Sam once more.

"Gabriel," Sam finally said, and it was clear he didn't want him to tell him that much.

"Gabriel! Oh, you set your sights high, didn't you, Sam? I'm proud of you," and Lucifer laughed.

"Oh so you're proud of him, but you don't like it when I take an angel lover, is that it? Oh right, I forgot, Sam's your boy wonder, isn't he?" Dean retorted, garnering a sour look from Sam for his remarks.

"Dean, you're not helping," the younger Winchester snapped, eyes narrowed at his brother.

"Shut up, Sammy. It's not my fault Lucifer's a hypocrite," Dean replied, without even looking at his brother.

Sam fell silent, knowing that Dean had a point at least. He returned his gaze to Lucifer's, flinched a little at the sight of his wounded face, his sunken eyes and tired vessel. He knew he was still the chosen meat suit for the monster standing before him yet he knew that he could not say yes, especially now.

"What are you gonna do to those kids, Lucifer? Kill them? You can't. I won't allow it," Sam said.

"And what have you got to offer me in return?" Lucifer asked.

"Stupid question," Sam quickly said.

"So you're actually saying yes to me?" Lucifer replied, with glee.

"Sammy, what the hell are you doing?" Dean asked, angrily, looking as though he wanted to hit Sam for his stupidity.

"No. I am saying no to you, but yes to the ritual. Whatever you want to do with those kids, you do to me, just don't hurt them," Sam said, voice rising with anger as he stared daggers at the adversary.

"You will say yes to me eventually, Sam," Lucifer vowed. "I'll see about that."

There was a pause when no one moved or did anything and it was Sam once more that broke the silence.

"So, do we have a deal?" he asked, feet shifting impatiently against the ground and shifting leaves.

"Yes, we have a deal. For now," Lucifer conceded. "I consider this a further step to making you say yes, you do realize that don't you Sam?"

"I'm afraid so," Sam admitted, turning away from Dean and Castiel's accusing glares.

"I'll get to you sooner rather than later," Lucifer vowed.

"You can't. He's pregnant," Dean burst out. "You heartless son of a bitch, he's pregnant, you hear me?"

Lucifer turned, truly looking surprised at that, before he grinned.

"What the hell did you tell him that for, Dean?" Sam yelled, looking truly angered by his brother's revelation.

"Think of your child, Sam," Dean yelled back, restrained by Castiel's slender hand upon his arm. "Huh? Think of what you're doing to that child."

"It will be fine, Dean," Sam replied, confidence in his voice that wasn't echoed in his eyes. "Your children will be safe at least."

"Sam," Dean yelled, surging forward to be pulled back at the last minute by Castiel.

Dean turned to look at Castiel, as though he wanted to hit him, but the angel remained steadfast, unflinching, remained holding onto Dean's arm and restraining him.

"It's alright Dean. Let him go, if that's what he wants," Castiel said, his tone even but the hunter couldn't mistake the utter hopelessness in the angel's eyes, as though he too thought it the wrong decision.

Dean sagged, feeling relief through him, knowing that Castiel, at least, was on his side, despite restraining him. The angel knew, just like he did, that Sam didn't have a choice, that he was doing this for them, despite risk to his own child.

"Be careful, Sam. Don't do anything stupid," Dean finally yelled at his brother, and Castiel nodded his approval at that.

"More stupid than I already am, Dean?" Sam asked, as Lucifer continued leading him away.

Castiel quickly shook his head when it seemed as though Dean was going to scream obscenities at his brother, instead saying - "Leave it, Dean. Let's just wait and see what happens shall we?"

"How can you be so calm, Cas?" Dean asked, turning on Castiel once more and meeting his unflinching gaze.

"Because Sam has an angel watching over him," and Castiel pointed discreetly to Gabriel standing hidden from Lucifer's view across the clearing.

Dean sagged, muttering - "Thank God, thank God!" - intermittently.

Castiel smiled his mysterious smile, draped one supportive hand around a suddenly weak Dean, leaning in to press soft lips against his lover's mouth. Dean felt fortified by Castiel's love and stood straight, yet didn't shake Castiel's arm off. Instead he snuggled that much deeper into his lover's embrace and kissed him again.

"Thanks for saying what you did to Lucifer, Cas," he said as he kept his eyes trained on Lucifer.

"I meant what I said, Dean and you would have said the exact same thing in my place. I have no doubt of that," and Castiel turned his liquid blue gaze onto Dean with such love, such trust in his gaze Dean smiled.

"Thanks, Cas," Dean murmured. "I would have done, too, you're right."

Castiel nodded, confident in Dean's love to not doubt otherwise. Gabriel huffed beside Dean but remained silent, as though he thought the moment a little over-sappy, making Dean flinch away at the sudden noise. To his credit, Dean didn't cry out and alert Lucifer to their extra guest.

The two demons accompanying Lucifer removed the babies from the alter, walked over to Dean and Castiel to place their children in their arms. Their eyes widened when they saw Gabriel standing there, and he flicked his wrist to send them away against their will, before they could raise the alarm.

"Thanks, Gabe," Dean said in surprise.

"You're welcome," Gabriel replied, as he stared down at the babies in Dean and Castiel's arms.

He smiled at them, reached forward to tickle the nearest one beneath the chin and set him to giggling and kicking. Dean smiled, amused that the baby seemed to like the archangel, and even Castiel smiled at the scene. Such tenderness in a scene filled with violence was quite jarring, yet all the more tender for it.

"I'd best send your kids away, they don't need to see this," Gabriel said as he snapped his fingers before either Dean or Castiel could protest.

Gabriel raised his hands at Dean's immediate complaint, before he said - "Don't worry. Elisha's got them. I haven't sent them anywhere you don't want them to be."

Dean remained unconvinced, but Castiel came to his brother's defence.

"He's telling the truth, Dean," he said, quietly. "He wouldn't harm one hair on our children's head than he would his own."

"I must be going soft in my old age," Gabriel immediately griped. "I didn't used to be like this you know. I was a warrior of God."

"You still are," Castiel reminded him gently. "More so than me, Gabriel."

Gabriel surprisingly remained silent, didn't offer a jibe at Castiel's expense and Dean stared at him in surprise. Gabriel merely shrugged, eyebrows raised as though it was the most natural thing in the world. Dean smiled at him lopsidedly, finding a new found grudging respect to the unpredictable archangel, to which Gabriel nodded his gratitude.

They remained ever watchful, ever silent as Lucifer drew Sam ever onward, knelt him before the altar and drew a blade to cut open Sam's arm. Latin and Enochian sigils filled the air as Lucifer sliced open Sam's arm and squeezed the blood to drip upon the ground. Sam winced, clenched his jaw and stared fixedly with such hatred upon Lucifer's face, Lucifer barely reacted.

Gabriel nodded to himself, before he snapped his fingers and sent Sam away from beneath Lucifer's hands, before the devil could even finish his chants, or finish squeezing the blood from the young hunter's forearm. Lucifer was still screaming when Gabriel spirited them all out of there, ritual unfinished, horseman still trapped in his Hellish lair. Dean couldn't help but feel some amount of smugness at that small fact, which didn't go lost on either Gabriel nor Castiel.

As soon as Dean and Castiel were deposited back at Bobby's, Gabriel disappeared, apparently having business elsewhere that he wasn't divulging to anyone. Dean shouted for Elisha so urgently, she came running, hair in disarray, blue eyes wide and staring in alarm.

"Dad, are you alright?" she asked, reaching for first Dean, then Castiel.

"Yeah, we're fine. Where's the kids?" Dean asked, looking over her head desperately and scanning the room even as Elisha still held him in a hug.

"They're fine. They're here. I don't know how, but they're here," she said, leaning away to shrug and turn her gaze from one father to another.

"Gabriel sent them," Dean said shortly, smiling finally when Bobby carried both twins through, babies resting in his lap and a surprised look upon his face.

Castiel and Dean padded forward and took a baby each from the elder hunter, relieved him of their weight and cradling the children in loving arms as Elisha went back to tending Sam, wrapping the wounds made by Lucifer in gauze and antiseptic cream. He winced at the slightest pressure but remained silent, bore the pain well and glanced over at the two fathers with matching children proudly.

he reminded himself that he'd sustained his injuries for them, for Dean, Castiel and the babies, so that Lucifer wouldn't win, and the Horseman remained trapped for a little while longer. He tried not to think of Lucifer, of him trying to convince him to let him in and say yes, and neither did he think of the one remaining Horseman. Both were problems best left to another time, when they became an immediate and pressing problem once again. He suspected that it wouldn't be long in either case.

He settled back, content to watch his brother and Castiel coo over the babies, both looking contented now that they were home and knew their children were safe. All was as it should be; at least for a while it was.

* * *

tbc


	8. Chapter 8

Dean bunched his hands at the back of Castiel's head, fingers clenched in the angel's hair as they kissed hungrily, mouths working eagerly at each other. Their satisfied murmurs broke the air hanging heavy around them with the scent of arousal. They were finally alone, had stumbled blindly into their shared bedroom as soon as they'd made sure the twins were settled, that both Elisha and Caelum were safe in their room.

Dean had made the first move, reaching desperately for his lover and claiming his mouth in a heated kiss, needing to blow off steam and ease his cravings for making love to Castiel. The angel had responded, was still responsive now, quickly kitten tongue flicking out to meet Dean's whenever their mouths parted for the briefest of instants.

Dean finally broke away and Castiel stared at him, intently, eyes eager and hungry, blown wide with darkened lust as Dean pawed at his own clothing in his haste to get undressed. The angel's eyes were heavy upon his lover's body as inches of skin were revealed, until the hunter was naked before him, dick hard and curling up towards his abdomen, flushed and leaking pre-cum, bobbing with every movement that Dean made towards Castiel.

The angel licked his suddenly too dry lips, throat bobbing as he hastily undressed, lazy fingers fumbling with uncooperative clothing until he was as naked as Dean. His cock nudged against Dean's when the hunter leant in to nibble at the angel's earlobe gently, hands resting lightly against his lover's hips and tracing his hip bones with his thumbs. Castiel rested his hands upon Dean's shoulders, long fingers splayed out over unblemished skin, eyes closed and plump lips parted as Dean nuzzled his neck gently.

Dean walked Castiel to the bed, before collapsing with his lover onto the soft mattress, almost bouncing onto the floor with the force of the springing mattress, Castiel's chuckles hit the air in deep rasps, followed by Dean's equally deep chuckles as they grappled with each other to steady themselves upon the bed. Neither wished to be tipped to the floor.

Dean grabbed blindly for the lube, grabbed it on the third pass, before squeezing some of the liquid onto his fingertips and spreading it in shining strands across his skin. He watched as Csatiel angled his legs wider still for him, lifting his hips hopefully as Dean reached between them, brushing against Castiel's dick purposefully and making his angel shudder and whimper loudly. He stroked against his lover's hole eagerly, before pressing into him, stretching him wide and loose, fingers nudging up against his lover's prostate and making him whine loudly.

Dean pulled his hand away before smoothing lube over his dick quickly before easing his hard length inside Castiel, slowly, watching Castiel's face as it slowly turned from tension to highly aroused pleasure. Dean waited, just stared at his lover's beauty until Castiel started complaining jerking his hips against Dean's to make him move. Dean grinned then started to roll his hips against Castiel's. He grabbed onto one of Castiel's thighs, hooked his ankle over his shoulder to get a better angle into him and started fucking into him hard and fast.

Castiel's moans were delicious, guttural, throaty, constant as he felt Dean's thick shaft moving confidently inside him, and he fucked himself onto the hunter's dick every time he withdrew. He licked his lips, eyes closing as Dean adjusted the angle again, rolling deeper into Castiel and hitting his prostate more fully, nudging up against the gland insistently and making shudders course through Castiel's body eagerly. The angel's moans turned into fluttering senseless cries and he thrashed his head, unable to control the climax coursing through him and he let go, let it consume him in its fiery embrace as he climaxed, covered Dean's abdomen and his own with thick spurts of his come without ever being touched.

At the sight of Castiel coming so undone, so aroused he didn't even have to touch himself to achieve orgasm, Dean climaxed, filled his lover with the traces of his love, thick spurts of his release spurting deep inside Castiel. He flopped back upon the bed, soft dick slipping easily from his lover's ass as he folded his lover into his arms, kissing the top of his head gently when Castiel rested his dark haired head upon Dean's shoulder.

Castiel turned his face to Dean's, begged for a kiss with soft, purling mewls of encouragement, received a tender kiss upon his pliant mouth, loved the feel of Dean's firm lips against his own. His slender hand rested gently upon Dean's chest, tracing patterns over the skin and making Dean shudder beneath his caresses, his touch. They remained in each other's arms, kissing, gently touching each other, too content to remain in that position to do anything else for the time being.

* * *

Two weeks later and Sam was starting to show, stomach peeking from beneath his t shirt and pushing against the thin fabric, straining his jeans to the limit. He looked more comfortable as soon as he'd changed into the clothes they'd bought a few weeks back, and started refusing to leave the house. He didn't want to risk being seen by others, ridiculed for what he was rather than perhaps being overweight. Dean tried reminding him that Castiel and he himself had gone through the same thing themselves, but Sam still wasn't comfortable with his situation. He became whinier than usual, demanding endless rounds of hot dogs and donuts, which Castiel ended up getting for him when Dean got fed up with it. Elisha stayed with him whenever his morning sickness got too much for him, soothing him, cuddling him supportively, making both Dean and Castiel smile proudly at her for being so attentive.

Gabriel popped in and out occasionally, checking up on Sam's progress but never sticking around for very long. Sam was always disappointed when he left and Dean was always there to tell him things would get better, that he himself and Castiel would be there to help whenever Sam needed it. The younger Winchester always appeared mollified at that, knew that if anyone was qualified to help him, it was both Dean and Castiel, both having been through pregnancies themselves.

One night, Dean was woken from his sleep by movement downstairs. He lifted his head from the pillow, and looked towards the door, arm still wrapped securely around Castiel's waist, legs entwined with his lover's. Castiel, of course, wasn't asleep, just meditating and felt Dean's movement against his back, and turned his head to look over his shoulder at his husband.

"What's up?" he asked, voice pitched low at Dean's intense expression.

"I thought I heard noises downstairs," Dean whispered back, his brows pulled low over his eyes.

"It's probably Sam," Castiel suggested, yet even in the dark it looked as though he wasn't quite convinced of his own words.

"Maybe. We'd best check," Dean suggested, remembering the debacle with the twins.

As though not needing to be reminded, Castiel followed his lover as Dean stood, not bothering to get properly dressed. They padded through the otherwise silent house, Dean in his t shirt and boxers, Castiel in his boxers alone, padding down the stairs until they reached the kitchen.

They both relaxed when they saw Sam leaning up against the kitchen worksurface, mouth wrapped round a freshly cooked hot dog, tomato sauce glistening on his chin. More hot dogs were ranged upon the surface behind him; Dean counted ten, even though he hadn't smelt cooking. It was then that he noticed that Sam was fully dressed and he hadn't even bothered taking off his coat before starting to eat.

"Hey, Dean, Cas. I was hungry, so I went out and grabbed myself a snack," Sam said, with a guilty smile. "Neither of you were awake, so I went myself."

He gestured towards the pile of hot dogs, as Dean gaped at his brother's so called snack, even as Castiel reminded Sam that he never slept.. Dean shook his head wordlessly, not wanting to remind Sam that he'd been refusing to go out for weeks, wondered why the pull of food was stong enough that he'd left the house now in his present gravid state, yet still took one of the hot dogs when Sam offered one to him. Castiel refused, not needing food still for either him or any prospective babies.

Sam looked down at his distended stomach, one large hand splayed over it protectively as he ripped off another large mouthful of meat and bread, mustard soon joining the tomato ketchup already smeared upon his face. Dean was almost put off by Sam's display of ferocious snacking, resorting to turning away to avoid looking at his own brother while they both ate. Castiel looked amused, remained standing off to one side until Dean had finished his solitary hot dog.

Sam was still eating by the time the couple left, all too content to continue shovelling hot fogs into his hungry mouth, feeding himself and his baby. Dean chuckled and shook his head, stealing a kiss from Castiel when the angel reminded him that both had been in Sam's position and not so long ago too. Dean agreed with a soft grunt, before piling into bed with his husband, tangled limbs akimbo and entwined. Castiel watched him, kissed him until Dean fell asleep slowly, a smile still upon his lips .....

* * *

The next afternoon, Sam joined Dean while his brother was alone by the front door, leaning against the wall and enjoying a beer and some fresh air. The elder Winchester moved over and let the heavily pregnant Sam lean beside him, smiled when his brother ate his fourth doughnut in fifteen minutes.

"You think Gabriel will be here when I give birth?" Sam asked, without any real hope to his voice at all.

Dean looked to the ground, not believing for one instant that Gabriel would. Even though he'd hung out a few times, the archangel didn't strike Dean as being a diligent nor a devoted father. He decided not to kid his brother and shook his head.

"No, Sam, I don't think he will be," he said, slowly, before taking another swig of his beer.

"You think he'll be around afterwards?" Sam asked, not sounding very hopeful for that either.

"No, not much," Dean replied, after a lengthy pause.

Sam fell silent and Dean picked up on the disappointment that pervaded the air around Sam, as though he were wondering what he was supposed to do.

"You wanted the kid, Sam," Dean murmured, without any real rancour.

"I know, I just thought things would be different," Sam said, with a shrug, before smiling bravely. "I shouldn't complain. I wanted a child, now I'm having one."

"But you just imagined you'd have a partner, like I have Cas," Dean finished off Sam's unspoken thought.

"Something like that," Sam agreed, with a sudden laugh.

Dean watched him laughing, thinking that it was the first time he'd ever seen his brother do so for a long time, before he said - "What's so funny?"

"I always thought that I would be the one to get settled down and get married, and you'd be the single father. Turns out it was the other way around," he said. "I think there's poetic justice in that somewhere."

"Don't be like that, Sammy. There's no shame in being a single dad you know. Cas and I will help out as best we can, you know that. We've been through it four times already, I think we're qualified to know what we're doing now," Dean said, gently.

"You're right. I shouldn't complain," Sam agreed, with an expansive shrug, almost dropping the remains of his donut as he did so.

"The grass is always greener, right?" Dean asked, with a chuckle, looking up towards the sky and watching clouds roll inexorably past on their gentle powder puff way.

"Something like that," Sam agreed quietly, before falling silent.

Then he looked up at Dean and gave him a genuine smile. Dean shrugged at his brother, before he asked - "What?"

"Thanks, Dean," Sam replied, gratefully, before nudging his brother gently.

"For what?" Dean asked, perplexed, uncertain as to quite what he'd done now to deserve Sam's gratitude.

"For being there," Sam replied, as he gently rested one large hand over his distended stomach.

Even though Sam didn't speak further, Dean knew what he meant.

"Hey, you'd be the same if I was in your shoes, Sam. You're family. Cas is your family too, now," he said, with a smile. "You know he'd help out as best he could. He's your brother-in-law as well as your friend. You've got our kids to help you out, too."

"I know," Sam said, with a smile. "Don't ever let me forget that."

"I won't," Dean replied, determined and Sam knew he wouldn't.

They remained silent, staring off into space, only looking up when Castiel wandered out and settled in against Dean's body, cradled in his husband's arms and stealing a kiss from his mouth gently. Sam watched them for a while, feeling contentment he didn't think he'd feel curl through him before he looked away. Things didn't seem so bad as they were half an hour ago, perhaps because he knew he wasn't truly alone, even though sometimes it might feel like it.

* * *

-tbc-


	9. Chapter 9

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: This chapter marks the end of this story and also the end of this 'verse, too, as I only ever intended this to be a four (multi-part) story arc! I hope you all have enjoyed reading these fics, as much as I have enjoyed writing them. No doubt I'll be dipping in and out of this 'verse possibly in the future, as and when I think of suitable one-shots, and I also will be writing another 'verse at some point too. As always, thank you for all your reviews and for favoriting these stories - they all help me to keep writing, they mean a lot to me and are always very much appreciated!

* * *

The day finally came for Sam to have his baby. Gabriel unsurprisingly wasn't there, having previously expressed no interest in being there for the birth itself, busying himself elsewhere on archangel business. Castiel had remained unsurprised by his brother's decision and a long suffering headshake was his only concession to how he truly felt. Dean had displayed silent anger that Gabriel didn't care enough for the birth, despite knowing he wouldn't be there, yet Sam seemed resigned, too heavy with child to even care.

The younger Winchester barely moved all day, remained on the couch and rubbing his distended stomach painfully, eyes staring off into space as though he were mentally preparing himself while he waited. Elisha remained with him, while Bobby busied himself elsewhere, occasionally looking in to see what was what.

Dean and Castiel had their hands full with the twins, who seemed on an endless round of wanting milk or their diapers changed, or sleeping which their fathers watched quietly. Castiel often stole glances at Dean's peaceful face as he stared down at the sleeping twins, fingers gently stroking Dina's cheek gently every time she stirred. The angel smiled and reached for Dean's hand when the hunter looked up at him, smiled at Dean's contentment and happiness before pressing a kiss to his firm mouth gently. He lifted Dean's hand, kissed his wedding band reverently and making Dean smile his lopsided smile at him.

Finally, Dean decided he was hungry, needed a break from looking after the twins for a while and needed to look after his own stomach at last. He padded through to the kitchen, to retrieve a beer from the fridge before helping himself to some pie. His back was turned to the living room, mouth wrapped around the slice of pie eagerly when he heard Sam's agonised cry from the living room, announcing that his brother had just gone into labor. Dean abandoned his pie, throwing it down upon the side before whirling and returning to Sam's side, touching his shoulder to announce the fact he was there.

He looked up to Elisha standing over to one side, regarding her uncle as though watching over him. Dean smiled and he gestured her over to take his place. He felt less comfortable being by his brother's side than he was his lover's and wondered if it was because the kid wasn't really his.

"Dean," Sam cried out when his brother left his side.

"I'll be here Sammy. Lisha's gonna be with you," Dean assured him, as Caelum ran into the room, playing with a toy aeroplane enthusiastically, totally oblivious to what was happening with his uncle.

"Hey, kiddo, let's go play, shall we?" Dean admonished, picking his son up bodily and removing him from the room.

Caelum giggled and wriggled in his father's arms, resting his beloved aeroplane on Dean's head. The hunter grinned automatically, feeling like a traitor for leaving his brother alone in the room, yet knew that Elisha was with him, would look after him. Castiel joined him, apparently as uncomfortable with Sam's birth as Dean had been mere moments before, preferring to remain with his husband rather than his brother in law right then. Together they played with their son, quietly talking about the birth and directing the same doctor who'd delivered their own children into the living room. The doctor barely needed the directions, already familiar with the layout of Bobby's house by now after four other visits to it. He remained blase to the situation, already having dealt with occurrences such as this one in the past.

"Good man, that doctor," Dean said, as the doctor started to walk away and into the house. "Say, dude, what's your name? Your first name, I mean?"

The doctor stopped and looked over at his shoulder at Dean, squinting into the sun to stare back at the hunter, before replying.

"Thomas," he replied. "But most people tend to call me Tom. Why d'you ask?"

"My brother doesn't have a name for his baby, and I wondered about yours. Seeing as you've delivered each and every one of ours I thought it only right to call Sam's baby after you. If Sam agrees of course," Dean replied, hastily, deciding too broach the subject with his brother when the first moment presented itself.

The doctor looked pleased by the prospect , nodded agreeably, before saying - "Thank you, I'd like that."

He left them then, excusing himself for other matters, and Castiel was left staring at Dean with some amusement.

"What if it's a girl, Dean?" the angel asked, when Dean looked in askance at his lover.

"Ah, yes, good point. Maybe Thomasina?" Dean replied, shuddering a little at the thought of such an antiquated name.

"How about Tammy?" Bobby asked, rolling out and catching the last of their conversation.

"Tammy's good. I can live with Tammy. How's Sam?" Dean asked, as the yells from inside grew louder, making both Dean and Castiel wince in sympathy, both remembering what it had been like to deliver themselves.

"He's - he's busy, Dean," Bobby replied, uncertain as to what else he was expected to say.

Neither Castiel nor Dean responded to that, the hunter smiling at Bobby's response and Castiel remaining typically solemn, tense, blue eyes darting towards the door as though he expected a whole horde of babies to come tumbling out at any minute. Finally, after what seemed an interminable age, a baby's distinctive wails cut through the air and Sam's relieved sigh joined it.

"Best go in, boys, see your niece or nephew," Bobby said, wearily, as though he'd delivered the baby himself instead of Sam.

"You're not coming in?" Castiel asked, stopping beside Bobby and laying one hand on the hunter's shoulder.

Bobby looked up at him and patted the angel's slender hand gently before shaking his head slightly.

"Not just yet son, in a minute," he replied, to which Castiel nodded and followed Dean who was by now waiting at the door for his lover.

They walked in together, hands entwining automatically as Sam grinned up at them, a baby girl sheltered in his arms, seeming tinier against him for all his large body.

"Tammy it is," Dean and Castiel said in unison, before they huffed out a laugh apiece.

Sam shot them a quizzical look, as did Elisha beside him, before Dean explained their earlier conversation and the names they thought they'd suggest to Sam. The younger Winchester nodded, agreeably, before saying - "I like Tammy."

Dean nodded, before Elisha took a photo of baby Tammy with her father, Sam.

Dean nudged Castiel then said - "Huh, Tammy and Sammy. Didn't think of that before did we?"

Castiel's distinctive deep chuckles broke the air, but he remained silent, watching Sam with his baby tenderly, as the hunter cradled her in his arms and crooned at her gently.

* * *

Several days later, Gabriel returned, curious about the child he'd helped to father, a surprisingly rapt and tender smile on his face as he looked down at the baby in his arms. He cradled her, marvelled at her matching eyes, hazel the same as his were, hair colour already showing and matching his, making Dean smile that she seemed a smaller version of Gabriel rather than Sam. He wondered if Tammy would have the same temperament as her father or as Sam.

Six months passed in a blur, proving that Tammy was more introspective, more apt to quiet periods like Sam, but without the brooding that was so inherent in the younger Winchester brother. By twelve months, she was a healthy twelve year old, still bearing a remarkable resemblance to Gabriel whose visits were becoming less and less frequent as time went by. Tammy made no predilection to missing him, preferring to spending time with Sam than her other father, seeing as they were more alike. Sam welcomed the company, seemed delighted with his daughter, devoted to her and making Dean smile proudly that his brother was doing a good job at bringing her up alone, without help from Gabriel in the end.

Dean and Castiel made good on their promise on helping Sam out with bringing Tammy up, all too used to how things worked with their own four children. Even Bobby helped him, exhausted though he was by all of the extra bodies quickly surrounding him. It was Sam who finally suggested they get a place of their own, to which Bobby quickly agreed. Dean had laughed at that, before agreeing too, moving into a vacated place down the road and working sometimes at Bobby's salvage yard for extra money when they needed it.

Elisha soon moved on, frequently coming back to visit family, before Caelum moved on when he was old enough. They still helped out with hunts; just because they were all getting on with their lives didn't mean to say that the demons stopped, the monsters stopped. Finally, it was only Sam, Dean and Castiel left in the house alone, the children all moved on to pastures new. Sam, feeling uncomfortable at imposing on Castiel and Dean's married life now that the children had gone, moved back with Bobby, who seemed more welcoming of company now that there was but one of him again.

Dean found life with Castiel in a house of their own at last surprisingly nice, never imagining himself to like or to be so willing to settle down with something he'd once termed the apple pie life, yet he had. Castiel seemed complacent no matter what happened. It didn't matter where he was, what he was doing, as long as Dean was there, it was home to him. Dean was always what he wanted, and their cups were filled with each other, with love, with happiness and with everything they needed ...

-fini-


End file.
